The Chosen Two
by Alcharma
Summary: After defeating the Mayor after his ascension at graduation, Buffy heads to England to protect Harry during his 7th year at Hogwarts and to aid the Order in its mission to defeat Lord Voldemort and his followers. COMPLETE finally !
1. Visions

Well, after reading fics on this site from many talented authors for a while, I finally decided to try my hand at writing some of my own. Hope you like it! Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

Timeline: Set after season 3 of Buffy and in Harry's 7 year. Spoilers for Buffy seasons 1-3 and HP books 1-5. I decided to skip book 6 as the way it left off doesn't really fit in with how I want my story to go. The Scoobies managed to defeat the Mayor after his ascension and are now in the process of enjoying their summer vacation. Harry has also just finished up his 6th year and is heading back to the Dursley's for the summer. I will not be using the plot from HP and the DH, but I might some of the spells, memories and other little things that I learned from the book. If there's anything that might give away any of its key points, I promise that I'll put up a huge, flashing SPOILERS sign before I use it.

Changes I have made: I choose to disregard the Horcruxes, Dumbledore dying, and the gang dropping out of Hogwarts. Too complex for me to include all that, and it doesn't go along with how I want my story to go. As for Buffy, don't expect anything to go the way Joss planned in the later seasons, but I may decide to throw in a few cannon events here and there. Faith didn't go evil and continues to work alongside Buffy and the Scoobies. Also, Giles and Buffy still work for the Watcher's Council because I may need access to their resources in the near future. As of now, Giles is Buffy's Watcher and Wes is Faith's.

Author's Note: Okie, well, obviously the first part of this chapter will look familiar to all you seasoned Buffy veterans. I took direct quotes from the episodes "Prophecy Girl," "Bargaining Pt. 2," and "Graduation Day Pt. 2." All transcripts where I got the quotes courtesy of of my ramblings, let's get to the story!

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_A pretty blonde girl in a white dress frantically swings up with her arm, knocking away the withered hand of what appears to be a vampire, and starts to run. He holds his hand out toward her and she freezes, an effect of the hypnotic power that he possesses. She looks back at him but can't seem to make herself move. He approaches her, making slow twisting motions with his hand. He comes up behind her, gently takes off her leather jacket and lets it fall to the ground. The girl is now panting hard with fear._

_After a small speech, the vampire bends down and bites her at the base of her neck. He drinks a few sips of her blood and lets her go. He lets go of the girl and she falls face down into a pool of water at his feet, unconscious._

_FLASH_

_The same girl, now dressed in a black shirt and tan pants is fighting a tall, handsome man dressed in all black. The blonde manages to cut the man on the hand with her sword, followed by a kick to the face, and he suddenly falls to the ground, gasping in pain. His eyes glow bright red for an instant and go back dark. He looks up at her, but quickly collapses to the floor, crying. The man raises himself back up, his eyes heavy with tears, and looks into her eyes._

_After some whispered words, tears, and one lingering passion-filled kiss, the blonde steps back, draws back her sword and thrusts it into the man's chest. His eyes whip open in surprise _

_and pain, and a bright light emanates from the sword. He reaches out to her and looks down at the sword thrust completely through him. She steps back, watching as he is pulled through some sort of portal behind him._

_FLASH_

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Harry Potter, the most famous wizard in the world known as "The Boy Who Lived," awoke with a start, scattering the books and papers arranged around him on his bed. Reaching a hand to his night table, he fumbled around for his glasses before grabbing a piece of parchment and a quill. Writing quickly in order to get as much down on paper as possible before the memory of his dream slipped away, Harry described first the mysterious girl's encounter with the vampire and then her fight with the dark-haired man in a letter to his headmaster. Folding it, he tied the finished letter to the leg of his pet owl, Hedwig, and sent her into the night.

A couple of hours later, Harry had dozed off, having fallen asleep on top of his Charms homework. Soaring gracefully through the window, Hedwig landed heavily on her master's bed, nipping at his ear affectionately to wake him up. After swatting her away weakly, he suddenly remembered the note that he had written to Professor Dumbledore about his dream and bolted up in bed. Removing the piece of parchment that had become stuck to his face when he fell asleep on it, Harry removed the letter from Hedwig's leg before petting her and allowing her to return to her cage.

Opening the envelope, Harry found a short note and a sticky piece of candy. Setting the candy aside, he concentrated on the letter which read:

"_Harry,_

_I believe I know who the young woman in your dream is. It is not safe to say who, in case this letter is intercepted by Voldemort or one of his followers, but I can say is that I believe she will a great asset to our cause. The liquorice whip that is enclosed is a portkey and will activate at exactly 9:30 am tomorrow morning. Please gather your things and meet me in my office first thing in the morning. We have much to discuss._

_Professor Dumbledore_"

After finishing the letter, Harry set it down on his bed-side table and after clearing off his bed, got back under the covers. Knowing that he would be getting little sleep, he took off his glasses and turned off the light, bathing the room in darkness.

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Opening his eyes, Harry glanced at the clock, bolting upright when he realized that it was already 9:15am. He hurriedly got dressed, mumbling a few colorful swear words under his breath, and grabbed his wand before snatching the liquorice whip off of his bed-side table. He only had to wait a few seconds before he felt a sharp tug behind his navel and in seconds, he landed in Dumbledore's office. The headmaster gave him a small smile before gesturing for Harry to sit down in a chair in front of his desk.

"Hi, Professor," greeted Harry.

"Hello, Harry. I am guessing you are wondering about the mysterious woman in your dream and how she can help us with the fight against Voldemort." At Harry's nod, he continued. "Buffy Summers, the woman in your dream, is the Slayer."

"The Slayer, sir?" asked Harry, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness," Dumbledore recited the well-known speech told to every slayer. 

"Oh..." muttered Harry, trying to take in this new information. "And you think she'd be able to help us in our fight against Voldemort?"

"Yes, Harry, I do. Now, you'd better get back to your Aunt and Uncle's house before they realize you've gone missing. I will discuss the situation with The Order and send an owl to Miss Summers today asking her for her assistance. I will contact you once I have more information." Harry took this as his que to leave and stood, giving Dumbledore a small smile.

Muttering "_portus_" under his breath and pointing at a small paperweight with his wand, Dumbledore transformed it into a portkey and handed it to Harry.

"Goodbye, Harry. Stay safe."

"Bye, Professor. I'll try."

The last thing Harry saw before he felt a sharp tug behind his navel and the room disappeared was Dumbledore grabbing a vase of flo powder and walking toward the fireplace.

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A bit short, but I wanted to make the next scene take place in Sunnydale, and this deserved its own chapter! Hope you guys liked it and drop me a review on your way out!


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Author's Note: After thinking about where I wanted my little fic to head, I decided to play around with Buffy and Faith's Watcher situation a bit differently than I had originally intended. Because I didn't want Giles following Buffy to England, I decided to have Wes quit the Watchers Council to pursue his career as a "rogue demon hunter" in LA with Angel and the rest of the Fang Gang. Giles, who is still part of the Council as well as Buffy, is now BOTH Buffy and Faith's Watcher. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Oh, and thanks to Shadow High Angel and slaygal166 for reviewing my first chapter! It made me all happy when I opened my email and discovered that I had 2 new reviews in the first day!

Anyways, enough of my jabbering! Now, without any further ado, on with the show!

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"Hey, what's that? Guys, come here," called Willow Rosenberg, Sunnydale's resident Wicca, from the living room window, gesturing her friends over to the window.

The Scoobies, were gathered in the living room of the Summer's residence, just having finished their third movie of the night. The room was in complete dissaray, pizza boxes and other snacks thrown about and DVDs littering the floor. It had been nearly a week since the Mayor's ascension and Graduation, and life had returned to normal. Well, as normal as life could be in Sunnydale, at least.

Willow was standing by the window, squinting at something outside while the rest of her friends were sprawled out on various couches watching the credits roll across the screen. Buffy Summers, the longest living Slayer in history, was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed under her and nibbling on a piece of pizza. To her left sat Xander Harris, funny-man and the third member of the original Scoobie gang, who was absently channel surfing and shoveling left-over popcorn in his mouth. To Buffy's right, Faith, a second Slayer, was absentmindedly playing with a dagger and watching Xander amusedly. Oz, Willow's boyfriend and warewolf 3 days out of the month, was leaning against the coffee table, flipping through a magazine and watching his girlfriend at the window.

"What's what?" questioned Xander from his sprawled position on the couch. Haphazardly throwing the popcorn bowl back onto the table, he stood up and made his way over to the window where Willow was standing with her nose almost against the window, squinting into the darkness. Oz made his way to the window to join the 2 friends, wanting to know what had his girlfriend so interested. Buffy and Faith remained on the couch, not wanting to exert the effort for the trek to the window.

"Huh, owl," stated Oz simply from his newly acquired position next to Willow, surveying the large brown bird that was undoubtedly heading straight for them. He ran a hand through his spiked green hair and then proceeded to wrap his arms around his girlfriend's waist.

"Wait, wait a minute," Xander said, pressing his nose further up against the glass and bringing his hand up above his eyes, attempting to see the bird better by blocking out the glare of the T.V. "Holy Jiminy Cricket, am I seeing things or does it have some sort of piece of paper tied to its leg?" Willow's eyes widened as she scrambled to get a better view of the bird while Oz just leaned nonchalantly against the window frame.

"Hey, Red, just a thought. Since the thing's obviously heading right for us with what appears to be a letter, might want to open that window before it smacks flat into the glass," suggested Faith who had been watching the scene from the couch with an amused smile on her face. "Don't really fancy cleaning owl bits off of the window."

"No! It could be evil! Don't let the evil owl, demon thing in!" cried Xander, jumping in front of Willow to block her from opening the window and waving his arms around wildly.

"Seriously, Xand. Evil owl, demon thing? You've been living on the hellmouth for how long and that's the best you can come up with?" scoffed Buffy playfully from her place on the couch next to Faith. "Wills, let the thing in, if it turns into a 'evil owl, demon thing,' to quote Xander here, I'm sure Faith and I can handle it."

With a bemused smile at Xander's pout, Willow reached up and opened the window before quickly stepping back to let the owl fly through. Maneuvering swiftly around the room, it landed next to an extremely surprised Buffy, hopping up so that it was now perched on her knee. Eyeing the bird suspiciously, Xander, along with Willow and Oz, returned to the couches and sat down, eagerly awaiting the Slayer's next move. Even Faith looked interested and stopped fiddling with the dagger she still held in her hand, instead focusing all of her attention on the large brown owl and her sister Slayer.

Dropping her pizza back onto the plate in front of her, Buffy hesitantly reached out and detached the envelope from the owl's leg. Hooting quietly, the owl then began to nibble at her forgotten pizza while she examined the letter in her hand. On the back was a crest of some kind, featuring 4 animals encased in what appeared to be a shield. Turning the letter over, Buffy encountered elegant gold script reading:

"_Miss Buffy Summers_

_The Living Room of 1630 Revello Drive_

_Sunnydale, California_"

"That's… odd… a little creepy, even. Someone's definitely done their research," mumbled Buffy, peering out the window to see if anyone was watching them. Satisfied that no one was, she looked back to the letter in her hands.

"Open it! Open it!" cried Willow giddily, looking from Buffy to the letter with wide eyes. Oz smiled slightly and placed a gentle hand on his girlfriend's arm to calm her down.

"No! Don't open it! AHH! It could be a bomb!" screamed Xander, moving to snatch the letter away from his friend's hand. She effortlessly batted his hands away, raising an amused eyebrow at him. He continued trying to grab for the letter for a couple more minutes before he finally gave up and sat back against the cough with a loud huff.

"Shut up, Xander. Go on, B, open it. You know you're as curious as the rest of us to see what it says," reasoned Faith, rolling her eyes at Xander's antics.

Smiling slightly at her friends' enthusiasm, Buffy proceeded to open the envelope, revealing a letter written in the same style as the script on the front of the envelope. The letter read:

"_Dear Miss Summers,_

_My name is Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have written to ask of you a favor, as I believe that you are the most capable person to help with our situation. Being the Slayer, I am to assume that you know magic exists. A you may already be aware of, magical communities exist around the world, blended in with normal communities. As of now, there is a war brewing between this magical community and a dark wizard, known as Lord Voldemort, and his followers. Their goal is to take over the wizarding community and rid the world of muggles (non-magical folk) and muggle-lovers. Lord Voldemort is particularly keen on destroying a young boy, Harry Potter, who caused his downfall almost 16 years ago._

_As the longest living Slayer, my associates and I feel that you are the best for the job of protecting Harry. My associates and I would like to offer you the position as Professor of Defense of the Dark Arts, as it will keep you close to Harry and the school in case something were to happen. I believe that your knowledge of mystical creatures and various forms of martial arts will be a tremendous asset to us during the war against Voldemort._

_Please send your response back with Artemis (the owl who delivered this letter) as soon as possible. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_"

Choruses of "Wicked, B!" "Magic school? There's a magic school? That teaches MAGIC?!" "Wow… I wonder if they have TV and pizza in the magic world" and "Huh." were heard from Faith, Willow, Xander, and Oz while Buffy sat staring unblinkingly at the letter she still held in her hand.

"Buffy, are you ok?" questioned Willow, realizing that her friend hadn't said a word since opening the letter.

"They want me to protect a kid from an evil wizard? AND they want me to be a Professor at a magic school?" asked Buffy skeptically, shaking her head and looking around the room at her friends. "Protecting the kid I can do, but a Professor? Me? Seriously?!"

"I know, B. Who would want you to teach a bunch of kids with impressionable minds? Man, I'd pay to see that!" laughed Faith, dodging a handful of popcorn Buffy had thrown at her in response to her comment.

"What're you going to do, Buffy?" asked Willow with wide eyes. "Are you going to take the offer?"

"I… I don't know," responded Buffy in a quiet voice. "Who votes we call Giles to see what he makes of this?"

Four hands immediately raised into the air, and Buffy reached for the phone to call her Watcher and mentor to ask for his advice. After quite a few rings, a tired and obviously irritated Giles answered the phone with a mumble that sounded relatively like "Hello?"

"Giles? Giles, wake up, I need you to get over here right away."

"Buffy, is that you?" mumbled Giles, groping for his glasses and putting them on before continuing, "You need me now? It's nearly 2 am." Suddenly realizing who he was speaking to, he started to panic. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did something happen?"

"No, I'm fine, we all are. And, uh, yeah, sorry about the time, didn't realized it was so late... Anyways, listen. I just got a letter," Buffy replied, watching her friends pass around the letter, each reading it once more.

"And?"

"It, uh... It was delivered by an owl," she continued. After a few second pause on the other end of the line, she wondered if he had fallen asleep and said, "Giles? Are you still there? You didn't fall asleep on me, did you?" She heard some more mutterings before:

"An owl? Curious." She could almost hear him pulling off his glasses and cleaning them thorugh the phone. "Owl post is only used in the..." More unintelligible mumbling followed and Buffy started to tap her fingers in the table impatiently. "I'll be there in 20 minutes," he stated abruptly before hanging up the phone and leaving his Slayer to wonder about his reaction to the news.

"Huh. Right. Giles said he'd be here in 20," she told the group of teenagers in front of her before hanging up the phone and picking up the bowl of popcorn sitting on the coffee table. The Scoobies continued to speculate about the wizarding world until Giles arrived exactly 20 minutes later.


	3. Questions and Answers

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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Locathah: Thanks for the correction, I haven't read book 6 for a VERY long time, and I guess I was getting it mixed up a bit with book 5. I'll make this correction in an author's note for this chapter, as I haven't figured out how to go back and change things in a chapter that I've already posted. As for ignoring some of the best parts of season 3, you've got to just wait and see. I plan to address some of these things later on in the story.

Allen Pitt: Thanks for the suggestion about making Giles the professor and Buffy the assistant professor, but I actually have a little something up my sleeve about this particular situation. It should be explained within the next few chapters! About the issue with Wills not being invited to Hogwarts and Giles' connection to the wizarding world, that should be addressed in this chapter. As for the appearance of Spike and Dru, you'll just have to wait and see!

Thanks for reviewing!

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Author's Note: As pointed out by Locathah, I got a bit mixed up on the events of book 6. Spoilers for books 1-5 of Harry Potter; I'm just sort of skipping over book 6 and moving right along to book 7 to fit with my story. Sorry for the confusion and on with the story!

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A sharp knock at the door signaled the Scoobie gang to Giles' arrival. Still laughing at a joke Xander had just finished telling, Buffy made her way to the door to let her Watcher in.

"Hey, Giles," greeted Buffy. "Come on in."

"Buffy," nodded Giles warmly, stepping past her into the entrance hall and then into the living room to a chorus of "hey, Giles" and Xander's "hey, G-man."

After settling herself down on the couch between Xander and Faith, Buffy gestured for Giles to sit down on the plus chair next to the couch and handed him the piece of parchment from the coffee table. Settling back into a comfortable position, the Scoobies all stared at Giles intently while he read over the letter in his hands. After several minutes of rather uncomfortable silence, Xander couldn't stand it anymore and started fidgeting with the stale, half-empty bowl of popcorn in his lap before proceeding to dump it all over the couch and the floor. All eyes snapped toward him and he grinned sheepishly.

"Uh... sorry about that..." he mumbled before scooping up as much of the fallen popcorn as he could and placing it back in the bowl. Now that the distraction was over with, everyone turned their gaze back to their mentor.

"So..." Buffy tried, also rather uncomfortable with silence, "...Giles... say something!"

"Oh, sorry," replied her Watcher, "I assume that you have questions regarding this letter?" After getting five identical 'well duh' looks from the teenagers in the room, he continued rather hastily before any of them could say anything. "Before you lot ask any questions, I'd like to give some background on the situation." Silence, "Right then. By now, it's obvious that you know that magic exists. In fact, there is an entire magical community situated among our own. Great measures have been taken to ensure that the non magical community would not discover it and-"

"There's a magical community? Like everyone in it can do magic?" blurted Willow, turning slightly pink as everyone shifted their gaze to her. "I mean um... how could we not have known about it? We're in contact with magical things every day! Buffy and Faith are slayers! Oz is a warewolf! I'm a witch for Pete's sake! How come I never got invited to a magic school?" When she was done, all eyes returned to Giles to see what he had to say.

"I am aware of this, Willow. However, the magic that these communities practice is different than that of the magic that we practice. Wiccan magic draws its power from the earth, while these witches and wizards harvest power from their own beings and channel it through wands. You were not asked to attend a magic school for this reason. Additionally, the Slayer has never been introduced to this world, as the Council feels that the Slayer was created to deal with problems in the non-magical world. While the Watcher's Council has contact with this community and its government, it was not important for me to share my knowledge of this world with you, as there are matters here in Sunnydale that take priority over those of the wizarding world." Seemingly satisfied with this answer, the Scoobies stayed silent and allowed Giles to continue. "Lord Voldemort was the most powerful dark wizard the magical community has ever come in contact with. While it was assumed that he was destroyed sixteen years ago, by a young boy by the name of Harry Potter, it has recently been reported that he his back at full power and on a mission to finish what he started."

"What does this Dubbledorne guy want us to do about it?" Buffy asked after a pause, causing Giles to roll his eyes slightly at his Slayer's butchering of the Headmaster's name. "I mean he wants me to teach? At a school? With kids? What is he thinking?"

"I second that, B. Why the hell would he choose you? I mean, you're just out of high school yourself. Aren't you a bit young to be teaching kids?" came Faith's reply, accompanied by a few nods from the rest of the gang.

"Professor _Dumbledore_," said Giles, emphasizing the name, "obviously has his reasons for coming to you with his concerns. You are the longest-living Slayer, after all, and with the upcoming war on the horizon, it is wise for him to gather as many allies as possible. As you are no longer the only Slayer, it is now possible for you to leave the hellmouth to offer your assistance."

"I guess that makes sense. I did just graduate high school and save the world from yet another apocalypse. I deserve a break. Mom'll be pissed that I'm not going to go to college right away, though," Buffy replied with a sigh.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll understand. I mean she knows that you're the Slayer now," remarked Willow, trying to ease her best friend's worries. "It's about time you got a break from the slayage anyways. We can handle the hellmouth for a while. It's been pretty quiet since the ascension, anyhoo."

"True. Hey Giles, where is this school anyways?" asked Buffy, raising an eyebrow. "Neither you or Double-D said anything about it."

"The school is at an undisclosed location, but we will be leaving for London if you decide to take Professor Dumbledore up on his offer," replied Giles, getting up to find a pen and paper in order to respond to the Headmaster's letter.

"Wow... London! You're so lucky, Buffy!" squealed Willow. Jumping up and down and clapping her hands as well as she could sitting down.

"Haha! The Buffster's going to the land of mini-Giles' and tea and crumpets!" laughed Xander, resulting in a withering glare from said Watcher.

"Excellent, B," remarked Faith appreciatively.

Oz, as usual, sat in silence and smiled at the news.

"Buffy, what are you going to do?" asked Willow curiously, stopping her jumping and clapping to peer at her best friend.

"Guess I'm going to London," replied Buffy with a smile.

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Author's Note 2: I don't really know how to write "English" like people usually do for Giles, but I gave it a shot. Hopefully it's not too distracting.


	4. An Encounter With a Wizard

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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Author's Note: This will most likely deal with Buffy and the Scoobies (with the exception of a few HPvers characters) until Buffy gets to London.

On with the story!

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Two days after Buffy, Giles, and the Scoobies had discussed the possibility of Buffy going to London and sending the owl back to Dumbledore with their reply, Buffy had gotten another owl baring a message from the Headmaster. The letter had stated that while it was not safe to discuss the details of her employment through owl post, he would like to arrange a face to face meeting. One day after receiving this letter, at precisely noon, the Scoobies, plus Joyce and Wesley, who the gang had reluctantly invited, were once again gathered in the Summers' living room awaiting the arrival of Albus Dumbledore. There was an air of excitement in the air that rapidly changed when a figure popped unexpectedly into the room.

Willow, Joyce, Wesley, and Xander shrieked loudly (Xander trying rather unsuccessfully to turn his scream into a manly cough), Giles and Oz stood up quickly, and the two Slayers moved to retrieve weapons from the trunk next to the couch. Before Buffy and Faith could do any bodily harm to the visitors, Giles called "Wait!" and motioned for them to put down their weapons. Not sensing any danger from the man standing in front of them, they slowly lowered their weapons before tossing them back into the trunk.

"Albus," acknowledged Giles, moving toward an older gentleman wearing what appeared to be a navy-colored dress covered with stars and a pointy hat. Before any more words could be exchanged, Wesley stumbled forward in an attempt to get to the powerful wizard.

"Professor Dumbledore! My name is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. It is such an honor to meet you, sir!" he babbled, grabbing Dumbledore's hand and shaking it furiously. Suppressing a smirk and Wesley's behavior, Giles coughed slightly, causing his fellow Watcher to step back, slightly pink from embarrassment.

"Professor," Giles tried again, sending a slight glare at Wesley "So good to see you again."

"Rupert, the pleasure is all mine," replied the Headmaster, with a slight bow.

Giles then introduced the rest of the Sunnydale crew, each waving or offering a small "hi" when they were mentioned. Giles motioned for Dumbledore to take a seat and everyone once again gathered around the coffee table to hear what he had to say.

"Professor, how do you know Giles?" questioned Willow curiously from her spot on the couch next to Oz.

"He and I met many years ago through the Council," replied Dumbledore, casting a small smile at the watcher. "Though the Council, as well as the Ministry of Magic, frowns upon our correspondence, we have kept in contact through the years." He then turned his attention to Buffy. "Miss Summers, I believe that you have had time to consider my offer?"

"I have Professor. And I would like to take you up on your offer. I need a break from slaying for a bit and Faith and the gang can handle whatever baddies pop up here on the hellmouth. The perk of having two Slayers, I guess," replied Buffy. After a nod from Dumbledore, she continued. "What exactly would my job entail, Professor?"

"Please, my dear. Call me Albus. You are, after all, one of my colleagues now," replied the Headmaster with a small smile at Buffy's blush and shy nod. "If you choose to accept my offer, Miss Summers, you will be asked to teach a course entitled 'Defense Against the Dark Arts" along with a dear friend of mine. In addition, if you so choose, I would also like you to lead an additional class to the students which will prepare them for physical combat in case they loose their wands in battle. Lastly, and most importantly, you will keep an eye on a Mister Potter to ensure that he stays out of trouble."

"Alright," Buffy managed to gulp after a few seconds of silence. "I think I can handle tha-"

"How long will she be gone for, Professor Dumbledore?" interrupted Joyce with a quick, worried glance at her daughter.

"A little more than a year, Mrs. Summers," replied Dumbledore. "She would be needed for the entire school year"

"A whole year?" cried Joyce, terrified at having her baby be so far away from her for an entire year.

"Do not worry. You two will be able to keep in contact and there will be options for you to visit Miss Summers at Hogwarts or for her to come home," added the Headmaster gently. "Rupert," he asked, turning his attention toward the Watcher, "I believe that you will want to accompany your young charge?" With a nod at his affirmation and a smile at Buffy's look of surprise he continued, "You

wouldn't expect us to throw you into the magical world alone, would you?"

Buffy turned to her friends, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the entire conversation.

Each were looking at her with a look of pride at her accomplishment, but also with sadness at her leaving for an entire year.

"When would I have to leave?" she asked quietly, still looking at her hands.

"Within the week, Miss Summers."

"Ok," she nodded, putting on a brave face. "I'm in."

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	5. Goodbyes

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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"I'm going to miss you, Mom," whispered Buffy through her tears as she hugged Joyce tight.

It has been over a week since the gang's last meeting with Dumbledore, and they were waiting for him to arrive and whisk her away her to Hogwarts. All the Scoobies, plus Joyce, were once again gathered in the living room of the Summers' household, saying goodbye to Buffy and Giles.

"I know, honey, but I'll see you soon," replied Joyce, kissing her daughter on the forehead. Once she puled back, Willow rushed to throw her arms around her best friend and proceeded to sob into her shoulder. Xander joined the impromptu-group hug while the others looked on with smiles on their faces but sadness in their eyes. When they pulled apart, Buffy walked over to Faith and pulled her into a hug.

"Woah, B. I don't do hugging," replied Faith with her eyes wide in surprise, but quickly softened and embraced her sister slayer.

"Faith," smiled Buffy, pulling away slightly. "Mom and I were talking and she would love it if you would move in here while I'm gone. She says the house'd be too quiet without me here." Looking at Joyce for confirmation, Faith nodded before letting go of Buffy and allowing her to say her goodbyes to Oz.

"Do we hug?" joked the Slayer, wiping tears out of her eyes. Oz smiled and pulled her into a quick hug before pulling away and moving to comfort a sobbing Willow.

Just then, a loud crack sounded throughout the room and all the Scoobies turned to see Dumbledore flicking some imaginary dust off of his robes. Bowing slightly at the group in greeting, he headed to the center of the room before shrinking Buffy and Giles' suitcases and placing them in his pocket.

"Wow! How did you do that?" asked Willow, stunned out of her tears by the display.

"Magic, Miss Rosenberg," replied Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye. "Now, if you are done saying your goodbyes, I believe that it is time for us to make our journey to Hogwarts. Miss Summers, Rupert, " he added, turning toward Buffy and Giles. "I have a small errand to run before escorting you to Hogwarts. If you don't mind, that is." At a nod from both, he pulled out a candy wrapper from his robes, and he muttered "_portus_" before continuing. "This portkey will take us to Hogsmeade, a small wizarding village near the school. This order of business should only take a couple of minutes. From there, we'll take carriages up to the school."

After sneaking in a couple final hugs, Dumbledore motioned for Giles and Buffy to each touch a part of the candy wrapper. "Hold on tight," he ordered gently, touching the wrapper himself.

She felt a jerk at her navel and the last thing Buffy saw was the room starting to spin before she was engulfed in darkness.

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Sorry this was so short, but I felt that it needed its own chapter. Please R&R to keep the muse happy!


	6. Arrivals and Introductions

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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AN: Thanks to dozygirl, PrInCeSsFBi, and Anne79 for the reviews and suggestions!

As per request, I've decided to make the chapters a bit longer. Just wanted to see if I wanted to stick with this story before putting a lot into it. I like it so far, so I'll be trying to finish it. :)

On with the story!

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"Oof!"

Buffy felt the air rush out of her lungs as she landed hard on the ground, feeling Giles land next to her. Groaning, she lifted her head off of the ground only to see Dumbledore planted firmly on his feet, staring down at both Watcher and Slayer in amusement. Sending him a slight glare, she accepted Giles' hand up and finally got a good look at her surroundings. Peering out from the ally in which they appeared, Buffy's jaw dropped as she got a glimpse of her first wizarding village. Dozens of witches and wizards were roaming the streets with multiple packages clutched in their hands, and though the shops in the town seemed normal enough, she could distinctly sense the magical aura that surrounded the place.

"Wow..." she breathed eloquently, feeling Dumbledore and Giles step up behind her. Like her, Giles was almost completely flabbergasted at the sight of so many witches and wizards in such a concentrated area, the Headmaster gently pushed past the two, heading down the street after giving them an amused smile. The group, with Dumbledore in the lead and Buffy and Giles trying to take in as many of the sights that they could, followed the path through town, finally stopped in front of a filthy-looking bar with a wooden sign displaying a wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto a while cloth. Buffy and Giles exchanged curious glances, but Dumbledore didn't seem to be phased in the slightest.

"This should only take a minute," he said, stepping through the doorway and leaving Buffy and Giles standing by the door. Almost exactly a minute later, the Headmaster emerged, smiling at their curious faces. "Just paying my brother a visit," she said as way of an explanation before once again leading them down the street toward what appeared to be a train station. However, before they could reach the entrance, Dumbledore turned right down a small alley leading away from the trainstation.

Giles' "oh, goodness" was almost completely covered by Buffy's cry of "holy crap!" at seeing one lone carriage waiting for them on a street by the station. However, these carriages weren't what interested the Slayer and her Watcher; it was what was was tied to it. At the front of the carriage, two horse-like creatures with skeletal, fleshless bodies, large, leathery wings, and blank, white shining eyes, were tethered. Buffy eyed the Headmaster, and after he gave her a small nod, she loosened her grip on the stake in her pocket and moved to get a better look at them.

"What are-..." she trailed off in awe as she brought her hand to pet one of the creatures' manes. It pushed into her hand warmly, and she cracked a smile at its' affection.

"These, my dear are..." started Dumbledore, only to be interrupted by Giles.

"Thestrals!" remarked Giles, looking at the horse-like animal with wonder. "Oh, my apologies Professor..." At Dumble's nod and slight wave, he turned to his Slayer and continued with his explanation. "This is extraordinary! I hadn't a clue that these still existed!" Pause. "Oh, right. So sorry. Buffy, these are Thestrals. This creature is only visible to those who have witnessed death."

After his explanation, he felt, rather than saw, Buffy stiffen, but as soon as it had happened, it was gone. She was still smiling and petting the Thestral, but her eyes had lost a bit of the shine that they had had before she found out that she could see them because she had witnessed so much death in her career as the Slayer. Dumbledore, noticing the tension between his two guests, motioned for them all to get into the carriage, which as soon as the door was shut, started up the hill toward the school.

"Professor?" Buffy asked rather timidly. At the small tilt of his head, she continued. "Do the other... um... professors know that I'm the Slayer?"

"I have not yet divulged that information to your fellow professors, Miss Summers. They did not need to know the circumstances of your arrival. I felt as if it would be more entertaining if you were to inform them yourself," replied Dumbledore with a small smile.

"Oh... ok then..."

Almost twenty minutes later, deep into an excited discussion with Giles and the Headmaster about what her new position would be like, Buffy almost didn't feel the carriage pull to a stop. Climbing out of the vehicle with Giles and Dumbledore behind her, she felt her jaw drop for the second time that day.

"A castle? I'm a Professor at a school that's a CASTLE?" asked Buffy, turning to Giles and blinking her eyes rapidly a few times as if expecting it to be some sort of optical illusion. "Wow... The gang'd never believe this..." She was then interrupted from her thoughts by an older, rather severe-looking woman hurrying down the front steps to greet them.

"Albus," she greeted with a small nod before turning her attention to Buffy and Giles. "Mister Giles... Miss Summers. I am Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House," she introduced herself with a small smile. She then exchanged a handshake with Giles, who was doing a substationally better job at hiding his awe than his Slayer. She then held out her hand and Buffy shook it numbly, eyes still wide in suprise at the gorgeous castle that she would be teaching at before turning back to the Headmaster. "Albus, where have you been? You were supposed to have arrived with Mister Giles and Miss Summers yesterday."

"A wizard is never late...nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to," Dumbledore replied with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. "Mister Giles and Miss Summers had a few things to do before I could collect them and bring them to Hogwarts. Come now, lets introduce our newest professor to the rest of the staff before showing our guests to their rooms." Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore started toward the school, gesturing at Giles and Buffy to follow. Buffy quickly snapped out of her awe-induced daze before following the two adults up the stairs.

Before she even stepped foot into the school, Buffy could sense the power radiating from it. It wasn't evil, per say. Just powerful. The kind of power that made her spider senses go haywire. She turned to Giles, and although he didn't have the spider sense that she was blessed with, she could tell that he felt the magic as well. 'Must be all that Watcher training' she thought. Entering the massive doors of Hogwarts, she felt her eyes widen as she took in the sight before her. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. She stared in awe at the moving staircases and seemingly-alive paintings as she trailed after the two professors and her Watcher. So entranced by these never-before-seen wonders, she nearly ran headlong into her three companions when they stopped in front of what appeared to be some sort of stone statue. Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask what was going on, Dumbledore told the statue "sherbert lemon" and headed up the stairway that the statue had jumped aside to reveal. Staring wide-eyed at the statue, Buffy once again hurried to follow Giles and the professors up the winding staircase.

To say that the Headmaster's office was amazing was putting it extremely lightly. There were multiple bookcases as high as the ceiling filled with books that neither Giles or Buffy had ever heard of. Beautifully carved shelves and display cases littered the room holding various trinkets. In the back of the room, in front of a magnificent window stood a rather large desk covered with rolls of parchment and even more trinkets.

After telling McGonagall to call all professors on school grounds to his office, Dumbledore summoned two cushy chairs out of thin air and motioned for both Buffy and Giles to take a seat. After settling down into the chair, Buffy nearly shrieked when a large red bird landed on her knee. It cocked its head in what Buffy took as a friendly gesture, and reached out to pet the bird's sleek feathers. It didn't seem to object, so she continued her motions while she turned to Dumbledore for an explanation, ignoring Giles' 'dear lord!' and mumblings about thinking that the bird had become extinct.

"This is Fawkes, Miss Summers, a phoenix. He is an extraordinary judge of character." The three then lapsed into a comfortable silence as Buffy continued to pet the phoenix, Dumbledore shuffled through some papers on his desk, and Giles got up to examine the books on the shelves as they waited for the rest of the staff to arrive. Minutes later, Buffy snapped her attention to the door as people started to file in. Seeing his Slayer being to fidget and shift in her seat, Giles once again took her side, flashing her an encouraging smile which she gratefully accepted. Dumbledore conjured more chairs and each professor took a seat.

"Mister Giles, Miss Summers, let me introduce you to the staff that you will be working with for the next year." He motioned to a woman with short gray hair and yellow, hawk-like eyes. "Madam Hooch, flying instructor and Quidditch referee." A woman covered in sequined cloaks and shawls and thick glasses "Sybill Trelawney, Divination professor" A very short man with a few sprigs of white hair. "Filius Flitwick, Charms professor and head of Ravenclaw house." A woman with gray, fly-away hair and a patched hat. "Pomona Sprout, Herbology professor and head of Hufflepuff house." A huge man with long brown hair. "Reubeus Hagrid, Care of Magical Creatures professor." A man with a hooked nose and greasy, black hair. "Severus Snape, Potions professor and head of Slytherin house. And of course you have already been acquainted with Professor McGonagall," added Dumbledore with a smile at Buffy and Giles.

"This is Mister Giles and Miss Summers." Each teacher either nodded, waved, or said a quick hello, except for Professor Snape. He simply stood there, glaring Buffy and Giles, irate that he had been passed up for Defense Against the Dark Arts professor once again.

"Professor Giles," started McGonagall, "I see that you have brought your... daughter to accompany you?"

"Minerva," replied Dumbledore before Giles had a chance to correct her. "I believe that you are mistaken. Mister Giles is not to be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Miss Summers is."

Buffy started to fidget even more as all eyes, minus Dumbledore and Giles', snapped in her direction. She ducked her head as hushed whispers and mumbles broke out among the professors but was forced to look up as one professor cried out in outrage.

"Headmaster! This must be a mistake!" ranted Snape.

"I assure you, Severus. This is no mistake," replied Dumbledore. Snape, however, completely ignored the Headmaster and continued, the other professors watching in awe having jumped out of their seats and getting rid of the chairs. Even the portraits on the walls had woken up to all the racket and were listening to his rant with rapt attention.

"You allow this... idiot child the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts when I have been waiting for so many years! This is preposterous! I assure you I am more capable than this... this... little girl!" Jumping forward, he hauled Buffy out of her seat by her arm and came to a stop in front of the Headmaster's desk, completely missing the look of indignation on her face and the look of fury and protectiveness on Giles'.

"Severus! Calm yourself! I'm sure that Albus felt that she was the best for the job if he hired her!" urged McGonagall, stepping forward from the other professors.

"Minerva! This girl is all of 18 years old! I have students older than her! How could she be fit to teach a class?" questioned Snape, making Buffy flinch at the noise being projected into her ear. McGonagall, as well as the other professors, turned toward Dumbledore, having obviously been thinking the same thing, though unwilling to say anything. Before the Headmaster could say anything, Buffy finally snapped and took matters into her own hands.

"Get OFF of me!" she growled, wrenching her arm from Snape's and pushing him away from her. To everyone's surprise, minus hers, Giles' and Dumbledore's, of course, he went flying, only stopping when he slammed into a bookcase on the other side of the rather large room. Glancing at Dumbledore in apology, she saw that he appeared as shocked as the rest of the professors, though there was a glint of amusement in his eyes that had not been present earlier. Turning back to Snape and seeing that he had pulled some sort of weapon out of his robes, she performed an impressive series of flips across the room, to gasps of the other professors, before plucking the offending object out of his hand before he could move. Sauntering back to her chair and once again making herself comfortable, she absentmindedly twirled the wand before turning back to Snape and giving him a smirk.

"I have chosen Miss Summers for this position," Dumbledore started, succeeding in turning the professors' attention to himself once again, "because the is the Slayer."

Seeing the professors' eyes widen, some even dropping their jaws, and turning to look at her in shock, Buffy smiled widely before turning back to the Headmaster who was smiling amusedly back at her.

"You're right. That WAS fun."

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Whew. That one was pretty long. Let me know what you think! The muse is getting pretty hungry!

Oh and a bit off topic, what do y'all think the pairings should be? Should I keep them rather cannon? Or should I mix it up a bit by pairing Buffy with one of the HP kids? Do you think it would be too weird since she is technically their teacher even though they are all around the same age?


	7. Revelations

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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Goodness! I slept for 8 hours and came back to find 9 new reviews! That was a surprise! Thanks to Allen Pitt, Never Is An Awfully Long Time, PrInCeSsFBi, iamkagomeiloveinuyasha, missingcanada, enchangedlight, and Sinkingboat for your reviews and suggestions!

missingcanada: Of course you may add this story to your c2! I'd be honored! Thanks for asking!

Sinkingboat: Faith is all non-evil and getting along with everyone because I have a plan for her later in the story. Guess you'll just have to wait and find out!

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Author's Note: I've decided to make this strictly Buffycentric, so it's quite possible that I'll be following her around instead of both her and Harry, and he won't appear until they collect him from his Aunt and Uncle's house. However, I'm not really sure yet, depends on what my muse decides...

Enough of my rambling, on with the story!

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Buffy continued to smile and wait patiently while one at a time, the professors came out of their shock. They were all still staring at her, but most of them had managed to pick their jaws up off of the floor and school their features into expressions of curiosity.

"The Slayer?" questioned McGonagall faintly, looking from Buffy to Dumbledore with her eyes still wide as if she was expecting one of them to jump up and yell 'April fools!' at any second. When no such action occurred, she continued. "But Albus, is the Slayer not supposed to reside on the Hellmouth? Can she afford to leave it and stay here to aid us in our fight?"

"Minerva, I assure you that the Hellmouth is well taken care of. Miss Summers is the first of two Slayers that have resided there. The other, a Miss Faith Lehane, is taking care of the Hellmouth in Miss Summer's absence. I believe that it is safe for her and her watcher, Mister Giles, to stay at Hogwarts until the war is over" Dumbledore answered motioning to Giles who turned slightly pink under the scrutiny. Buffy and Giles each braced themselves for the outburst that was destined to follow the Headmaster's explanation. Surely if these people knew about Slayers, they would know that there was supposed to be only one Slayer at a time.

"But Headmaster," squeaked Flitwick with a look of confusion crossing his face nodding in agreement with the mutterings of the other professors. "There can only be one Slayer. This must be a mistake."

"This is no mistake, Filius," remarked Dumbledore. "I am sure that you are all aware that if one Slayer dies, another is to be called. Miss Summers did indeed die, and as a result, Miss Lehane was called." He paused, allowing this news to sink in, smiling at Buffy's muttering of "It was only for a second... and SO not my fault." "Of course, Miss Summers is standing here before us today, hence I am sure she found a way around this rather... unfortunate event," he said, casting a smile at the girl in question.

"Headmaster!" Snape called, bringing all focus back to himself. "Surely you could have found a better replacement! Slayer or not, this _girl_ has no idea what to expect from the magical world."

"This _girl_ has a name," Buffy growled, causing all eyes to shift back to her and for Giles to place his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Right you are, Miss Summers," acknowledged the Headmaster. "She is to be a fellow member of the Hogwarts staff after all, Severus. As for your concern about Miss Summers being new to the wizarding world, I believe that I have another trick up my sleeve about that particular matter. Come in," He called loudly, turning back to Buffy. "Miss Summers, may I introduce you to your fellow Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Everyone turned toward the door a rather young man with brown, but graying hair, premature wrinkles on his pale face, and tattered robes stepped through. While most of the professors seemed happy at seeing this man in Dumbledore's office and the announcement that he would be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Snape looked possibly livid. He looked even madder than when he found out that Buffy was going to be teaching the class.

"Headmaster," he bellowed, causing a few of the professors, as well as Buffy, to cringe slightly at the volume and waves of anger wafting off of him. "You chose him for the position over me once again? How many times must I tell you? One who has his... _condition_ should not be teaching children!"

"That is enough, Severus," responded Dumbledore, all trace of amusement gone from his face. "You of all people should be grateful that I offer second chance." Buffy turned to Giles wondering if he knew what was going on, but her Watcher simply shrugged, indicating with his eyes that he would ask the Headmaster about it after the meeting was over. However, Dumbledore's comment seemed to have had its desired effect on Snape, who continued to glare at the new addition to the room but did not say anything further. "Right then, Remus, may I introduce you to Miss Summers who will be assisting you in teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." After Buffy and Lupin exchanged nods and waves, Dumbledore continued.

"In addition to teaching this course, Miss Summers will also be leading a muggle defense class, as well as keeping an eye on Mister Potter. I have talked with the rest of the order and they have agreed that it is imperative that she be initiated as it is important that she know Voldemort's happenings at all times." This announcement was met by nods all around except for Snape who glared even harder. "Now, I believe that it is time to escort our guests to their living quarters. It is getting quite late," said Dumbledore with a note of finality that effectively ended the meeting.

Filing out of the room, Buffy could hear the other professors talking about her, wondering whether or not Dumbledore made the right choice in hiring her. Hopefully his faith in her would be enough to convince them that he had made the right decision. When only Buffy, Giles, and Dumbledore were left in the office, the Headmaster motioned for them to follow him out of the door and down the winding stone staircase. He led them up several flights of stairs, past several portraits and suits of armor that Buffy could swear were following her with their eyes and whispered about her once she had passed, until finally stopping in front of a a handsome young night perched on top of a beautiful white horse.

"Miss Summers, this is your room. Tell Sir Charles your password and only those who know it can enter your quarters," said Dumbledore, gesturing toward to the painting who waved and smiled at them.

"Ummmm... I'll keep it simple," decided Buffy, with a slight tilt of her head. "Slayer, I guess." The portrait swung open and Dumbledore ushered her in. Decorated in deep, navy blues, the room was gorgeous. A small common area was filled with soft, cushy chairs that were placed in front of a fireplace and showed four doors.

"This door," started Dumbledore, motioning to the first door on the left, "leads to Rupert's room and that door," pointing at the first door on the right, "leads to the Gryffindor common room. Because Harry is a Gryffindor, the professors and I believe that it would be good for you to have access to the tower from your room. Through the second door on your right, you will find your bedroom and bathroom, and through the second door on your left, I have taken the liberty of providing you with a training room. I hope all of this is satisfactory," he added with a smile.

"Oh wow Prof-..."

"Call me, Albus, my dear."

"...Albus... This is beautiful! Thank you so much! And if I'm to call you Albus, I insist that you call me Buffy. Enough of this Miss Summers stuff." she finished with a wide smile, glancing around the small common room with wide eyes."

"Of course, Buffy," replied Dumbledore, pulling her suitcases out of his pocket and returning them to their normal size. "Here are your suitcases. I recommend that you get some sleep. It's the only way to get rid of that jet lag that you must be feeling. Now, Rupert, if you will follow me, I will show you to your own quarters." After a smile and a hug from her watcher, Giles and Dumbledore headed out through the portrait hole and down the hallway.

"Night Giles, Albus!" Buffy called before picking up her suitcases and heading through the door that led to her bedroom. "Oh, holy crap!" The room had a huge window overlooking the lake, various nightstands and cabinets, and in the middle stood a beautiful four-poster bed, flush with pillows and comforters. Eyes wide, she dumped her bags on the ground and grabbed her toiletries before heading into the bathroom, only to find it filled with sparkling white marble and a huge bathtub. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she wandered back into the bedroom to change before hopping into bed and snuggling down into the sheets. Yawning, her last thought was 'man, I could get used to this,' before smiling and slipping into unconscious.

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This one's a bit shorter, but I wanted to get Buffy all settled in before having her explore the castle and the rest of the wizarding world. Hope y'all like it!

So far, two of you have voted for keeping the pairings cannon, and two of you voted for switching them up a bit. I probably won't put any pairings into my story for a bit, so keep reviewing and telling me what you think I should do!


	8. The Arrival of Harry Potter

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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Author's Note: Alright, so this story has been getting a bit slow and my muse isn't thrilled with explaining in detail Buffy's first experiences with everything magical, I've decided to skip ahead a bit so we can get to the real juicy crossover-goodness. So right now it'll be about early/mid August. Hope I haven't gotten you too confused!

Oh, also, I know electronic things aren't supposed to work at Hogwarts, but I couldn't see how else they could tell time, so yeah, I'm putting in a clock or 2.

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Thanks to Allen Pitt, Sinkingboat, PrInCeSsFBI, and atoz for all the wonderful reviews and suggestions!

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Okie dokie, so far, here's your guys' suggestions on pairings. I'll keep most of the secondary (non-Buffy) pairings cannon, but I'm not sure about Buffy's yet. I sort of hinted at a possible Buffy/Harry pairing in this chapter, but I'm not sure if I'm going to follow up on it, so keep messaging me your suggestions!

Cannon: A couple votes for Buffy with either Spike or Angel. I doubt I'll pair her with Angel, as I'm a bit hesitant their "tragic love story," but you never know. I am an avid Spuffy fan, but it might be a bit hard to pair them as he's still evil and with Dru. He doesn't actually go good until he gets his chip, something I doubt I'll go into in this story. However, Spike is definitely a possibility for a cannon pairing.

Fannon: People seem to want me to put Buffy with either Harry or Draco, but I've also gotten a few suggestions for Bill or Charlie Weasley. I think that Harry or Draco would be the most likely for pairing her with a HP character. I absolutely detest the Harry/Ginny relationship (no offense to those who like it!), so I may play around with that a bit. And I've always enjoyed Buffy/Draco stories. Bill and Charlie are pretty out of the picture, as I believe they are in their late 20s and way too old for our Slayer! Also, isn't Bill married to Fleur Delacour or something?

That's it for now! Keep sending your suggestions my way!

Enough with my rambling! On with the show!

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It had been nearly two months since Buffy was thrown head first into the magical world. She had become acquainted with the other professors at Hogwarts and was liked by almost everyone, except for Snape, of course, who was still irate at the fact that Dumbledore had hired a 18 year old girl and a werewolf for the position that he desperately wanted. Buffy had been introduced to the members of the Order of the Phoenix, who despite their initial concerns of her being so young, also believed that it would be a great asset to have a Slayer on their side in the war against Lord Voldemort.

Molly Weasley insisted on taking Buffy under her wing, worried that being a member of the Order was too much for a child so young to handle. Because her concerns were overruled by the Order, as well as Buffy herself, she had taken to hovering around the Slayer whenever she visited the headquarters or the Burrow, shoving plates of food into her hands and marveling at how she stayed so skinny. Arthur Weasley was intrigued with Buffy because she had grown up as a muggle, and wasted no time in bombarding her with questions about anything from telephones to electrical outlets. Buffy had gotten close to the Weasley children, especially Ron and Ginny, as well as Hermione Granger, who was also a seventh year. Ron had taken quite a liking to Buffy, following her with his eyes whenever she got up and blushing whenever she addressed him, which were met with a sharp smack to the head by Hermione. However, Buffy had yet to meet the famous Harry Potter.

Buffy and Giles had both been rather busy since their arrival at Hogwarts. In addition to taking in all the sights of the magic community, she had lessons to plan and books to read in preparation for her job as co-professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, an extremely arduous task for an eighteen-year-old girl who was never the researching kind. Thankfully, Lupin was almost always at her side, trying to keep her focused and forcing information into her already crowded brain, and Giles was always around to lend a helping hand in case either of them needed information on any particular magical creature. The two had gotten quite close, and Buffy had come to see him as the older brother she had never had. Though he was nervous around her at first, him being a werewolf and her being a Slayer, his apprehension had faded immediately once Buffy told him that one of her best friends was dating one and that she had no problem with it. The Order had seen quite a change in him since Buffy had come into his life; rarely seeing a smile on his face and noticing his haggard appearance since Sirus', they were shocked to see him laughing and smiling with Buffy, looking younger each day. Apparently having a spunky, energetic Slayer around did wonders for his mood.

Even though Giles often had his nose in some musty book he had gotten out of the library, he still found time to train with his Slayer whenever she felt antsy from not having anything to fight or the magic surrounding the castle. Dumbledore had even offered to let them patrol the Forbiden Forst, but so far they hadn't found anything in need of slaying. The Headmaster saw how Giles and Buffy interacted during their training sessions, ultimately asking him to co-teach Wandless Defense with his Slayer, which he quickly accepted. The two were closer than ever, looking to each other for comfort to deal with being away from Sunnydale so long. Although they drastically missed the Scoobies, though Giles refused to admit it, and Buffy missed her mom, they had not been able to return home, as there was too much to do in preparation for the upcoming school year.

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Buffy had been lounging by the lake enjoying the weather and reading a letter from Willow when she was called to Dumbledore's office. Walking into the room, she was surprised to see that Giles, McGonagall, Lupin, and Dumbledore were already there waiting for her.

"Oh, hey guys. What's up?" asked Buffy, nodding at each in greeting. "Giles, finally got you out of that library, huh?" she added with a slight smirk, causing her Watcher to turn a slight shade of pink. For nearly two months, he had spent almost every waking moment in the school's library, reading through rare books of demon lore and learning all that he could about the wizarding world.

"Harry has just arrived at headquarters," answered Dumbledore with a smile at the young girl that he had grown to love almost as a daughter. "Molly has made a huge feast and has invited us to celebrate his arrival. I assume that you wish to attend?"

"Of course! I want to meet this mystery Harry Potter!" she replied. "I hear about this kid day and night, but I've never actually met him. Unless dreams count." Since she had arrived at Hogwarts, she had been having dreams about Harry's past showing in detail what he been forced to go through since he was a child. Though she had told both the Headmaster and Giles about these dreams, they waved them off with little concern, claiming that there was nothing they could do about past events.

They all gathered around Dumbledore's fireplace, grabbing a hand of floo powder from a jar on the mantle before clearly shouting "number twelve, Grimmauld Place" and stepping into the emerald green flames. Buffy was the first to arrive at headquarters and tumbled out of the fireplace with a loud squeak as she tripped over a stray log and landed sprawled on the drawing room floor.

"Stupid Slayer balance. You'd think I'd be able to land on my feet just once instead of always landing on my ass..." she muttered standing up while she attempted to brush the soot off of her clothes and face. Seeing the flames turn green, she threw herself out of the way as Giles, Lupin, and Dumbledore skid out of the fireplace with substantially more grace than she had. Lupin smiled at the state of Buffy's clothes before mumbling something under his breath that cleaned away all the soot.

"Thanks, Rem," she added, flashing him a playful smile before heading down the hallway toward the kitchen, only to shriek loudly and jump back a foot as two loud cracks sounded in front of her, revealing two boys with flaming red hair.

"M'lady," they both said in unison, bending low to the ground in a mock bow before before straightening and fixing her with identical smirks.

"Jesus!" she cried, hitting them on the shoulder playfully. "Fred, George! What are you idiots trying to do? Give me a heart attack?" Their only response was to widen their smirks and Buffy merely gave them a withering stare before grabbing each of their arms and dragging them down the hall after the three adults.

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As a loud scream echoed throughout the house, four teenagers looked up from the game of wizarding chess they were playing. Standing up, they all filed out of the room and down the stairs, wanting to see what all the noise was about.

"Whatdya reckon that was all about?" asked Ron, casting a glance behind him at Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.

"I haven't a clue unless..." Hermione trailed off, hurrying through the house to the kitchen with her friends on her tail.

"...BUFFY!" she called, rushing down the hall and throwing her arms around the Slayer before she could step foot in the kitchen. "You're here! We haven't seen you forever! Oh! Hi Professor Dumbledore, Professor Lupin, Mister Giles," she added, throwing them sheepish glances. At nods from each of them, she once again focused her attention on her friend as they went on to greet the other members of the Order.

"Woah! Hey 'mione!" laughed Buffy, hugging her back with equal fervor, "Long time no see, huh? Hey Ron! Ginny! How are you guys?"

As Hermione removed her bushy head from Buffy's shoulder, Harry got his first glimpse of the Slayer. She was even more beautiful than she was in his dreams so many months ago. She was wearing a long white skirt and black t-shirt and her long blonde hair was pulled up into a loose bun with tendrils falling around her face. It took him a few seconds before realizing that she was staring at him with her head tilted to the side and a smile on his face, obviously wondering what he was looking at.

"H-... hi," he managed to breathe, blushing a bit at the wavering of his voice. Glancing at Ron's face, red from embarrassment at Buffy's hello hug, he felt a bit relieved that he was not the only one that had made a fool of himself in front of her. He would have bet a gallon that his best friend had had a very similar first encounter with the Slayer.

"Well, you must be the famous Harry Potter," she greeted with a small smile and wave, letting loose a tinkling laugh that made him grow even redder. "Nice to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you." Before either of them could say another word, Mrs. Weasley came over to them, wrapping Buffy up in her own hug.

"Hello, Buffy dear!" she said, holding Buffy out at arms' length. "Goodness! What are they feeding you at that school! You're still so skinny! Come, come sit down!" Ushering her into a seat before she could object, Mrs. Weasley fixed 6 teenagers with an urgent look. "Come on, you lot! Sit down! The food's getting cold!"

They all sat down, the boys not-so-subtly shoving each other out of the way in order to get to the two seats next to Buffy, but she simply rolled her eyes playfully and grabbed Hermione and Ginny, pulling them into the seats next to her. The boys, though slightly disappointed, quickly got over it and seated themselves on the other side of the table, across from the girls where they all spent the entire evening sharing stories and comparing adventures. Many times throughout the night, Buffy caught the boys, Ron and Harry in particular, staring at her when they thought she wasn't looking, but she simply waved it off with amusement, giggling with Ginny and Hermione about how obvious boys could be with their feelings. However, when she caught Ron looking at her, she saw the look of want in Hermione's and made a mental note to do a little matchmaking as soon as possible.

Dinner passed rather quickly, everybody eating to their hearts' content and enjoying each other's company. The party broke up at around twelve, Mrs. Weasley claiming that many of them had to get up early the next morning for work. After final hugs were given and goodbyes were said, Buffy once again found herself following the hallway to the drawing room. Grabbing a handful glittery, emerald powder that Mrs. Weasley offered her, she shouted "Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" before throwing the powder into the fire and stepping into the fireplace.

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Stumbling out of the fireplace in Dumbledore's office, she managed to grab onto the side of the desk to keep from falling over. Smiling widely at her accomplishment, she flicked a stray piece of ash off of her skirt before sitting down in one of the chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk, curling her legs under her. She didn't have to wait long before both Giles and Dumbledore stepped out of the fireplace.

"Hey, where's Rem?" Buffy questioned with a tilt of her head, glancing at the fireplace.

"He has decided to return directly to his quarters," replied Dumbledore. At a nod from Buffy, he continued. "Buffy, I have made an appointment with the Minister of Magic tomorrow morning. I believe it would be wise to introduce you before the term starts. Our meeting is at eleven."

"Alrighty, gonna get some sleep before the big interview, then," said Buffy with a yawn, rising from her chair. "Night, Professor. Ya coming, Giles?" At a nod and smile from her Watcher, she followed him out of the room, down the winding stone staircase, and toward their rooms. Noticing his silence, she began to get concerned.

"Spill," she ordered, stepping in front of him with her hands on her hips and fixing him with a raised eyebrow.

"I beg your pardon?," he countered, clearly taken aback at her behavior.

"What's up, Giles?" she questioned, features softening and a look of concern replacing her previously stern expression. "You've been quiet all night. Not at all like your usual party-animal self," she explained, cracking a smile to show that she was joking. Suddenly her eyes widened comically. "Wait! Is there another prophesy about me floating around here somewhere? Do I have to die again? Cause that'd totally suck..."

"What? No! I assure you it's no such thing. I just..." he faltered, taking his glasses off and polishing them furiously. Buffy waited patiently for him to finished, hands still on her hips but head now tilted slightly to the side in curiosity. "We are on the eve of one of the largest wars in wizarding history. I realize that you are the Slayer and that I cannot protect you from the world forever, however... I... uh..."

"It's alright, Giles," she interrupted, saving him from stuttering out the rest of his sentence, though quite touched at his concern for her. "I'm a big girl. Well not _big _but... whatever, you know what I mean. Point is that I can take care of myself. Averted quite a few apocalypses in my day. No biggie. Plus it's not like we're alone this time." Sending him a small smile and giving him an quick hug, she nudged him down the hall toward their rooms. They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence, pausing at Buffy's portrait to say goodnight before she said the password and stepped through the hole that the painting swung forward to reveal while he continued down the hall.

Walking across the large living room, she entered her bedroom, yawning widely. Kicking off her flip-flops and slipping out of her skirt and t-shirt, she changed into a pair of boxers and tanktop before heading to the bathroom to watch up. Emerging, she set the alarm on her nightstand for 10 o'clock, she slid into bed, casting a longing look at the picture of her, Xander, and Willow on the nightstand next to the clock,feeling the loneliness sink in, before sighing heavily and snuggling down into her pillows and cuddling Mr. Gordo close to her chest.

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Whew. That chapter was hard to write. Got a huge case of writers block... hopefully it'll resolve itself soon! R&R please!


	9. The Minister of Magic and Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! Oh, and also, descriptions of the Burrow taken from the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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Thanks so much to Firewolfe, buffy92, PrInCeSsFBi, enchantedlight, Paine Sawyer, and dozygirl for your reviews! Makes me happy!

I'll probably pair Buffy with either Harry or Draco, but not to worry! Angel and Spike will both show up in time! Thanks for all your suggestions!

Fudge is sill the Minister of Magic, as I'm not as well acquainted with Rufus Scrimgeour (the present MoM). I don't really remember what he was like when he was being civil, so he's going to be all yell-y and angry like he was in the 5th book... He might be a bit OOC, but this is the best I can do with him. Oh, and Giles might be a bit OCC at one part as well, but I felt it was necessary. And one last thing... I'm keeping Ollivander's in business because I have no idea where else the kids would buy wands if it was closed down...

Ok, here's the story!

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Buffy awoke from a deep sleep with a start at the ringing of her alarm clock. Reaching out from under the covers to shut it off, she accidentally hit it with her arm, causing it to fly across the room and bounce against the wall. The bright side was that it stopped ringing. Snuggling back into her pillows now that the noise was gone, she dozed off again, only to be woken up when the alarm sounded again. Mumbling under her breath and squinting to see the clock, which read 10:15, she scrambled out of bed, not wanting to be late for her 11 o'clock appointment with the Minister of Magic. Bringing her hand to her face in an attempt to wipe the sleep from her eyes as she turned off the clock, she stumbled into the bathroom, brushing her teeth and hair and washing her face, emerging a few minutes later and dressing herself in a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. Pulling on a pair of boots, she grabbed a couple stakes and a knife, strategically hiding them under her clothes, before crossing her suite and knocking on the door leading to Giles' living quarters.

"Come in," she heard Giles say, voice slightly muffled by the door. She swung open the door only to be greeted by her Watcher attempting to simultaneously put on a tie and make himself a cup of tea. "Good morning, Buffy," he greeted, giving her a smile and gesturing to the tea he was making. "Would you like...?"

"Nah, I don't really do tea," she answered with a slight wave of her hand. "C'mon. We should get going. Don't wanna be late for our meeting with the Minister..."

"Oh... Right!" he replied, slightly alarmed. "Of course. Come along." He headed out the hole the portrait had opened to reveal and started down the hallway and through the castle toward the Headmaster's office with Buffy following him, rolling her eyes playfully. "Fizzing Wizzbees," he muttered, stopping in front of a statue. The stone gargoyle sprung to life, revealing a winding staircase that would lead them to Dumbledore's office. Climbing the stairs, they arrived at a door and at a "Come in!" from the Headmaster, they entered quickly, shutting the door behind them.

"Good morning, Rupert. Buffy," he greeted with a small smile from behind his desk. "Right on time. We will be flooing to the Ministry, but before we go, there is something I would like to discuss with you" he added, placing the tips of his fingers together and looking at Buffy intently. "Please, take a seat." They complied, settling themselves into the chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk. "Buffy, I have talked with the Order, and we believe that it is essential for you to learn some basic magic. It would be a great asset to you in the fight against Voldemort as well as for your slaying."

"I... but... I can't do magic!" exclaimed Buffy, furrowing her brow in confusion. "I'm not a witch! That's more Willow's thing..."

"While you are not a witch," Dumbledore interrupted gently, saving her from her babbling, "being a Slayer, which is classified as a magical creature, you do posses the amount of magic required." Eyes wide, Buffy turned her head in Giles' direction, wondering if he knew this.

"It does make sense," he replied, removing his glasses and polishing them rigorously with a handkerchief that he pulled out of his pocket. "Being the Slayer, you do possess certain... abilities that other humans do not. Buffy, would you like to learn a bit of magic?"

"Hell yeah!" she blurted before clamping her hands over her mouth, embarrassed that she had swore in front of her new boss.

"Well now that that's settled," said the Headmaster amusedly, handing Buffy a pot of emerald green powder. "Make sure to say 'Ministry of Magic, London' so as not to arrive at the wrong one." Grabbing a handful of the powder, Buffy shouted "Ministry of Magic, London!" before stepping into the fire.

Managing to land on her feet this time, Buffy looked around in awe at a huge room filled with fireplaces. Dozens of witches and wizards, some dressed in robes and some dressed in muggle clothing, were going in and out of the fireplaces, barely sparing her any notice. Feeling Giles and Dumbledore step out of the fireplace behind her, she turned toward them, eyes wide. Giving her a small smile, Dumbledore led the way to the entrance of the room, stepping into an elevator and pushing a button. The elevator stopped at each floor, collecting and depositing passengers and paper airplanes, which Dumbledore explained were used to send messages within the Ministry, before hearing a cool, female voice announce "Level one, Office of the highest Ministry Officials, such as the Minister of Magic, Advisor to Minister, Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister of Magic, and Junior Assistant to Minister of Magic," and feeling the lift jolt to a stop.

Stepping out, Dumbledore led Buffy and Giles down the hall, stopping in front of a door baring a plaque stating "Cornelius Fudge: Minister of Magic." Knocking sharply on the door and hearing a muffled "Come in!" he pushed open the door, giving a slight nod to a man in a lime green bowler hat and a pinstriped cloak who was seated behind the desk in the middle of the room.

"Ah, Dumbledore," he greeted, getting up to shake the Headmaster's hand, forcing a smile onto his face. "Please, have a seat." Dumbledore conjured three, cushy arm in place of the wood, stiff-backed ones that were already there, gesturing for Buffy and Giles to sit down beside him.

"Cornelius," started Dumbledore slightly coolly, gesturing toward Buffy and Giles. Buffy could sense the tension between the two, but had no idea what it was all about. "May I introduce you to Mister Giles and Miss Summers."

"Ah, yes," remarked the Minister, turning his eyes away from the Headmaster. Once he turned toward Buffy, his eyes narrowed slightly, taking in her outfit and youthful features. "I see... Miss Summers," he said, making her look up in surprise at being addressed. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen," she responded, sitting up a bit straighter at his intense scrutiny, while Giles placed his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

"Albus," he started, turning away from Buffy and back to Dumbledore. "This girl is eighteen years old. How can you expect someone this young to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts? This position requires an enormous amount of experience!"

"I assure you, _sir_, I have plenty of experience in-..." said Buffy through clenched teeth, attempting to keep calm while she was being blatantly attacked. However, Fudge didn't want to hear what she had to say and interrupted her before she could finish.

"There is no way that this girl has enough experience needed to properly teach this course! How could you not have told me of her age, Dumbledore? This is preposterous!" he rambled, shaking his head violently and pacing back and forth behind his desk.

"Cornelius," Dumbledore responded coolly in a voice that instantly commanded attention. "I assure you Miss Summers is quite qualified for the job. She is the Slayer, and we believe that she will be an extreme asset to us in the war against Voldemort. In addition, she will not be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts alone. She is to be assisted by Remus Lupin." Fudge paled slightly at Dumbledore's mention of "Voldemort" but quickly recovered, turning red and starting to sputter indignantly at the Headmaster.

"You would bring the _Slayer_ into the wizarding world? What were you thinking? You, as well as I, know that the Slayer is rooted in darkness! She was made out of pure _demon_, for God's sake! Why do you think we've worked so hard to keep those like her out of our world? How do you know this girl won't turn on us! She could be in league with the Dark Lord and planning our deaths as we speak!" He spun on his heel away from Dumbledore, eyes gleaming with hatred, stalking up to Buffy. Her eyes were wide and mouth slightly open in horror at what the Minister had just revealed. "And bringing that werewolf back to Hogwarts! You'd think you were asking for the castle to be attacked! _Slayers and werewolves_," he continued to mutter.

"That is enough!" growled Giles, jumping out of his seat, and the Minister turned to look at him in surprise as if he had no idea that there was a fourth person in the room. Buffy's eyes widened even wider at the sudden appearance of Giles' Ripper attitude, but Dumbledore looked on calmly; only those who knew him extremely well would be able to see the anger in his eyes. "This girl has averted more apocalypses than anyone I have met. She has CONSTANTLY put her life on the line to save others. Even those that were not worth saving. And she would NEVER betray anyone she has swore her allegiance to. And you treat her like a common criminal? If you ever, EVER, come near my Slayer again, I assure you, it will be the last thing you ever do." Realizing that making threats to the Minister of Magic was not a good way to start out their stay in the wizarding world, Buffy jumped up out of her seat, pushing the information the Minister had just revealed to the back of her mind, grabbed Giles by the arm, and forcibly dragged him from the room, pausing to say one more thing.

"And Remus would never hurt anyone. He is the kindest man I have ever met," she stated coolly, causing him to turn toward her, mouth agape. Sending Fudge a glare, she stalked out of the room, Giles in tow, leaving him to stare after him with a look of extreme shock gracing his features. Dumbledore looked on serenely, giving the Minister a small nod before turning the cushy chairs back to the originals.

"Cornelius," he stated with a slight tilt of his hat before disappearing from the room in a flurry of deep purple robes. Emerging from Fudge's office, he found Giles pacing back and forth across the hallway and Buffy leaning against the wall attempting to calm him down. She was obviously unnerved by her Watcher's explosion, but was attempting to keep it together so that she could calm him down.

"Giles," she said, bringing her hands up to rub at her temples in an attempt to ease her headache. Nothing. He kept pacing. "Giles, stop pacing." Nothing. More pacing. "GILES!" she bellowed, causing him to turn around in shock, almost walking into the wall in front of him. "Calm down," she said, lowering her voice considerably. "Don't worry about it. Guy's just being a prick."

"Quite right, Miss Summers," said Dumbledore, causing Buffy and Giles both to turn their heads in his direction. "Cornelius can get rather... er... worked up." Giles opened his mouth to speak, but Dumbledore cut him off by raising his hand. "Now, Rupert. That's quite enough. You have made your point quite clear, and I believe the Minister will take it into account." Pause. A change of subject was in order. "Now, if I recall, neither of you has had the opportunity to visit Diagon Alley?" At a nod from both Buffy and Giles, he continued. "Splendid. We'll go there now to get your wand and to allow you to explore a proper wizarding village."

He had once again started down the hallway, stopping to let a few people out of the elevator before entering and moving back in order to accommodate Buffy and Giles. Once again, the elevator stopped at each floor, but this time getting off when the cool female voice stated, "Level six, Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparation Test Center." Stepping out of the lift, Dumbledore led them to an unoccupied fireplace, handed them a jar of floo powder, and told them to say "The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley, London," before stepping into the flames. Buffy was once again the first to arrive, skidding out of the fireplace, taking a moment to mentally pat herself on the back for finally getting good at flooing, before taking in her surroundings.

She was inside what appeared to be a dingly little bar, having fallen out of the fireplace in a small common area just to the left of the main room. It was filled with patrons, obviously witches and wizards from the way they were dressed, all looking at her with curiosity, and she ducked her head slightly at the attention. Grateful when Dumbledore and Giles emerged from the fireplace after her, she quickly followed the Headmaster toward the main room, stopping when he paused to chat with bartender.

"Hello, Tom," he greeted, offering the inkeeper a smile. "How are you?"

"Oh just fine, Albus. Good to see you again," replied Tom. "And who is this?" He turned toward Buffy and Giles, offering them a friendly wave.

"This is Mister Giles and Miss Summers. The two new professors at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore.

"Oh of course! Good t' meet ya! Well I'd better let you three run along. Have a nice day!" he added, earning a smile from Buffy and a nod from Giles. The three made their way through the small pub, emerging into the sunlight, only to be met with a bustling street filled with people carrying various shopping bags. It was obvious that this was no ordinary London street. The street was filled with various shops with titles such as "Eeylop's Owl Emporium," "Slug & Jiggers Apothecary," and "Olivander's," but the thing that caught Buffy's eye was a huge snowy-white building that towered over all its neighbors and had a set of huge bronze doors.

"Oh. My. God," stated Buffy, letting her eyes sweep up and down the street, only to return to the huge building at the far end.

"Gringotts," said Dumbledore, smiling at Buffy's excitement. "A wizarding bank," he clarified at her confused look. "We will of course be heading there first. I assume the Council has provided accounts for you both. Rupert? I assume you have brought along Miss Summer's key..." Giles took two small, golden keys out of his jacket pocket. "Ah, splendid! Come along now."

After a brief chat with one of the employees ― goblins, Giles told her, along with the fact that no, she could not slay them ― they were escorted to a cart, which then dipped and swerved at an alarming speed deep underground before stopping at vault number 914. After scooping up a few handfuls of bronze, silver, and gold coins littering the floor of the decently filled vault into a pouch and completely forgetting the conversion rate that Dumbledore had explained to her less than a minute ago, Buffy climbed back into the cart. It set off once again, stopping at the next vault over; vault number 915. Giles scooped up some coins out of the vault and placing them into his own pouch before stepping into the cart, which immediately sped off, stopping with a halt when reaching the lobby.

"I assume that you would like to obtain your wand first?" questioned Dumbledore, stepping out of the cart and exiting the bank. At a nod from Buffy, he led them down the street, stopping in front of a shop that had a single wand placed on a dusty old cushion in the window and a peeling sign reading "Ollivander's" above the door. Entering the dark and musty shop, the tinkling of the bell over the door announcing their arrival, the three looked around for any sign of the shopkeeper. The walls were lined with literally thousand of narrow boxes, but there was no one to be seen.

"Ah. Miss Summers," said a quiet voice, a man with pale, silvery eyes, emerging from the shadows, nearly giving Buffy a heart attack and causing her and Giles to jump slightly. Dumbledore, however, didn't seem at all phased by the man's sudden appearance. "I have been waiting to meet you. Good afternoon, Headmaster," he added, giving Dumbledore a small nod. "Please, come here Miss Summers..." At a reassuring nod from Dumbledore, she stepped forward cautiously. "No need to be frightened, my dear girl. Just want to take a few measurements," he said kindly, beckoning her closer. "Well, now... Let me see. Which is your wand arm?" Confused at the man's question, but holding out her right arm any way, she was surprised to see a measuring tape whiz off the counter, stretching itself out to measure her from shoulder to finger, then from wrist to elbow, from shoulder to floor, from knee to armpit, and finally around her head. Ollivander had once again disappeared into the shadows, emerging with a very dusty box and setting it down on the counter. "That's enough," he called, and the measuring tape landed in a heap on the floor.

"Try this one. Ebony and dragon's heartstring. Ten-and-a-half inches," he said, pushing the wand into Buffy's hands. She paused, unsure of what she was supposed to be doing. "Go on, go on! Give it a wave!" She had barely raised the wand before Ollivander snatched it out of her hand, returning it to the box.

"No no... that won't do... here. holly and a unicorn hair. Nine inches." He handed her another wand, looking at her expectantly. Feeling rather stupid, she raised it in front of her, jumping back slightly as a few boxes behind the counter flew off their shelves, falling to the floor with a slight crash. She placed the wand back in the box sheepishly, glancing back at Dumbledore and Giles, both who didn't look at all concerned by what had happened.

Buffy continued to try out wand for almost half an hour, sometimes causing things to break or fly off the shelves, others Ollivander snatching out of her hand before she could even wave it. As time passed, Buffy became increasingly worried that Dumbledore had made a huge mistake. What if she _wasn't_ capable of performing magic? What if her slayer magic wasn't enough? Another wand was forced into her hand, disrupting her internal musings, and she felt a slight twinge in the bite mark on her neck. Something click inside of her; it felt right, somehow. She waved the wand, surprised when a cluster of green and silver sparks flew out of the end.

"Oh, bravo!" cried Ollivander, clapping his hands. "Very good... very good! Holly and a drop of vampire's blood. Eleven-and-a-half inches." Making a mental note to talk Giles about the tingling in her scar, she watched Ollivander pluck the wand from her fingers, he placed it back in the box, wrapping it in brown paper, and handing it back to her. After paying for the wand and exchanging goodbyes, Dumbledore, Giles, and Buffy exited the shop, squinting at the harsh light that had just assaulted their eyes.

"Very well... Where would you-..." started Dumbledore, only to be interrupted by three voices calling Buffy's name.

"Oh hey guys!" said Buffy excitedly, catching a glimpse of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "What're you doing here?" Noticing Giles and Dumbledore, the three chorused "Hi Professors" before answering her question.

"Rom's mum brought us to do some shopping for school supplies," stated Hermione matter-of-factly, looking over her shoulder at where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were sitting outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "I'm sure she won't mind you coming over for dinner if you'd like to join us...?"

"Can I, Giles?" asked Buffy pleadingly, sticking out her lower lip slightly.

"Of course," he replied with a smile at her antics. "We can continue training another day." She looked at Dumbledore, who nodded his approval, before following her three friends back to where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were seated.

"Hey Mrs. Weasley," Buffy said, causing her to look up from the bag of packages she was rummaging through. She smiled at Ginny, earning an energetic wave in return.

"Oh, hello, dear!" Mrs. Weasley greeted, standing to give the Slayer a proper hug. "Fancy meeting you here. I insist that you join us for dinner... It'll give us a chance to finally show you our home..." Buffy nodded, looking forward to another of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful home-cooked meals. "Well, I'm sure you five have quite a bit of shopping left... Why don't we meet back here around... four o'clock?" Nodding their agreement, Buffy, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny headed off, leaving Mrs. Weasley to continue looking through her packages.

Stepping into Flourish and Blotts, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny separated, trying to find the books listed on their Hogwarts book lists while Buffy wandered the store, not looking for anything in particular. Spotting a book about Slayers and one about the Scourge of Europe, she picked them up off the shelves, flipping through them idly while the other four finished up their shopping. Deciding to buy them, she walked over to the counter and, with Harry's help, paid for them using the coins in her pouch. They stopped next door at Scribbulus Everchanging Inks to refill their supplies of ink, quills, and parchment ― Buffy refusing to buy quills, stating that she had enough trouble with pens, and that she would just buy a box of those the next time she was in London ― before splitting up. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny heading to the Apothecary to stock up on herbs and powders for potions and then to the Quidditch supply store so that Harry, Ron, and Ginny could gawk at the newest model. Buffy asked what Quidditch was, Harry and Ron looking horrified, before Hermione nudged her further down the street muttering that she would explain it later.

Crossing the street, Buffy entered Eeylop's Owl Emporium, browsing the various isles of loud, screeching birds before coming to a stop in front of a small brown-grey owl. It stopped preening itself to look at her, cocking its head to the side slightly, as if trying saying hello.

"Oooh, pretty," she muttered to herself sticking her finger through the bars of its cage and wiggling it slighty. It nipped at her finger affectionately.

"She likes you," said a soft voice, causing Buffy to jump, getting her finger stuck in the cage. Wincing slightly and freeing herself, she turned to to see a timid looking older witch standing in the isle behind her. "She's a sweet one, isn't she? A tawny owl." she continued, coming up to Buffy.

"What? Oh! Yeah, she's adorable! I'll take her," the Slayer responded, shooting the witch a bright smile. She was getting a bit tired of always having to borrow the school's owls and felt it was about time that she got one of her own. Paying and leaving the store, shouting a thanks to the woman over the hooting of its other occupants, she once again stepped out into the sunlight, attempting to hold onto all of packages as well as her new owl.

"Yay! My very own owl... Willow and the gang are going-..." she stopped, the owl hooting at her best friend's name. "What? Oh! Willow?" The owl hooted again. "Guess that settles it. I'll call you Willow from now on." Willow hooted contentedly, and Buffy smiled, reaching into the cage, with great difficulty, to pet her new purchase.

Looking up, she felt a smile light up her face and crossed the street, entering a store called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Hearing the tinkling of the bell above the door, the twins looked up, sporting identical grins as they realized who it was. Moving out from behind the counter, they took her packages out of her hands and setting them down on the floor before each taking turns picking her up and spinning her around in greeting.

"Hey Buffy! Good to see―," George greeted, mock bowing.

"―you again," finished Fred, going so far as to kiss her hand.

"Hey you two," she answered, laughing at their antics and looking around the shop, which was packed with students. "Sweet shop you have here! You never told me! I wondered where you got all that extra cash!"

They talked for a short while about their business, before the were called back to the counter

by a few Hogwarts kids wanting to buy some of their products. While George rung up their purchases, Fred walked around the store, filling a sack to the brim with goodies before returning to the doorway and handing it to Buffy.

"Guys! I can't take this! What'll your other, _paying_, customers think?"

"That'll be our little secret," replied George, making his way toward Buffy and Fred once he had finished up his sale.

"Yep, something for our favorite girl," Fred added, causing Buffy to blush slightly and thank them profusely. After a hug from each and a promise that she would see them both at dinner, she exited the store, now even more weighed down with her packages, heading down the road toward the Quidditch supply store in search of her four friends. Drawing closer, she realized that they were talking to another small group of students; a pale boy with silvery blond hair, two large and thuggish-looking boys, and black-haired girl with a square build and heavy draw.

"Well, well, well," said the silvery blond one snidely. "If it isn't Potty and Weasel. Oh and Potter! Your admirer and the mudblood too!" He turned to Ron and Ginny and looking at them with a disgusted smirk on his face. "Buying some supplies, I see? Obviously from the second hand store, knowing how your family doesn't posses any money to buy you _new_ things." The two hefty boys chuckled stupidly and the brunette let out a loud, shrieking laugh.

"You'd better watch yourself, _Malfoy_," growled Ron, who was currently being held back by both Harry and Hermione.

"Sure. What're you going to do? Curse me? As if any of you has the stones to do it," Malfoy replied, turning his back purpously to the four Gryffindor, laughing at the look on Ron's face before heading down the street, his three cronies following after him. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, shooting glares at Malfoy's back, turned and headed in the opposite direction. Buffy hurried after them, rearranging the packages in her arms so that she could move more efficiently, finally catching up with them in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Hermione was forcing Ron into a chair and Harry was ordering four milkshakes in a haughty tone, hastily changing it to five when he caught sight of Buffy.

"What the hell was that all about," she asked, dropping her packages and Willow onto the floor before sliding into the seat across from Ron, a confused look spreading across her face.

"Draco Malfoy," responded Hermione. "Seventh year Slytherin. We don't really... er... he..."

"He's a prick," added Ron, thickly, still staring in the direction that Malfoy and his three flunkies disappeared.

"Ron, language," Hermione prompted, scolding him lightly, but Buffy could tell that she was just as shaken by the encounter as Ron was. Harry and Ginny said nothing, they just stared moodily into their milkshakes, which had just arrived. "Oh... Here comes Mrs. Weasley..." Sure enough, the group looked up from their drinks to see Mrs. Weasly striding their way.

"Oh, good. You're all here! Get what you needed?" she asked. At their collective nod, she gestured at them to come join her. They all gulped down all that they could of their milkshakes before standing and joining Mrs. Weasley, clutching their packages. "Alright you three," she said, looking at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "You go on home, we'll be right behind you." There were three loud _crack_s, followed by their disappearance into thin air. Once they were gone, Mrs. Weasley grabbed Buffy and Ginny's arms, quite a difficult task as all three were heavy weighted down by their purchases, and disappeared from Diagon Alley, reappearing at their destination in a blink of an eye, and leaving Buffy with a slightly unstable feeling.

Buffy untangled herself from Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, looking around the room in awe. The kitchen is small and rather cramped, with a wooden table and chairs in the middle. The mantelpiece was stacked with cookbooks, and there was a clock with one hand, not telling the time but marked with phrases such as "time to make tea" and and "time to feed the chickens," leaning against the wall. Buffy felt a strong magical energy coming from the place which was confirmed when the dishes in the sink started washing themselves at a flick of Mrs. Weasley's wand. The others were already in the kitchen, dropping their packages on the table and talking amongst themselves.

"I know it's not much..." started Mrs. Weasley hesitantly, turning a slight pink color.

"No!" replied Buffy, realizing that Mrs. Weasley had taken her silence as her silently insulting her home. "No, it's amazing!" Dropping her packages to the floor, she first went to examine the clock before wandering over to the window and looking outside. The garden outside the Burrow has gnarled trees lining the walls, plenty of weeds and overgrown grass, and a large pond. Buffy swore that she saw something scuttle out of the bushes and into a pile of weeds, but ignored it, knowing that it was something magical that she wasn't accustomed to. "It's wonderful..." she added breathlessly, taking in all the magical object that filled the house.

"Well, why don't you lot go on up to Ron's room while I start dinner," she suggested, already turning toward the sink. "Oh, Buffy, dear. You can let your owl out of her cage and let her fly around outside a bit. Would do her some good to stretch her wings."

The gang waited for Buffy to coax Willow out of the kitchen window before grabbing their packages and heading up a narrow stairway, stopping on the fifth landing in front of a door baring a plaque stating "Ronald's Room." Swinging the door open, they deposited their purchases on the floor by Ron's bed, the two boys pulling out a game of wizarding chess. Buffy looked on intently, in awe that the pieces would attack each other, but Hermione and Ginny grew bored quickly, instead riffling through the packages on the ground. Hermione found Buffy's wand, and at the Slayer's insistence, attempted to teach her some basic spells, Ginny looking on and helping whenever she could. They were currently trying to teach Buffy a levitating charm while the boys continued their game of chess, completely oblivious to everything around them.

"It's lev-ee-_OH_-sa, not lev-ee-oh-_SA_," Hermione corrected, nudging the scrap of paper closer to Buffy, who was glaring hastily. "And it's more of a flick of the wrist instead of a jab." Seething silence from Buffy. "No, no! It's ok! You're doing really well! Try it again... go on..." Buffy let out a deep, rattling breath and raised her wand once for what seemed like the twentieth, pointing it at the stupid little piece of paper and muttering "_Wingardium Leviosa_." To her surprise, the object floated a few inches into the air, coming to a stop in front of her face.

"OH MY GOD! I DID IT!" she shouted, looking wide eyed at Ginny and Hermione who were both clapping and congratulating her with huge smiles on their faces. "I CAN DO MAGIC AFTER ALL!" The noise seemed to startle Ron and Harry out of their chess-induced-daze, and they looked up, confusion written all over their faces. However, they were stopped from asking what had just happened by Mrs. Weasley's voice carrying up the stairs, calling them down for dinner. Elated at performing magic, Buffy bounced down the stairs, her four friends close on her heels. When they arrived in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley handed them various dishes of wonderful smelling food, instructing them to take the dishes outside. Fred and George were already there, and after summoning a large table and benches, were adorning it with silverware, plates and napkins, grinning at Buffy as she passed. Once Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie arrived, everyone sat down to enjoy their meal.

Dinner was a lighthearted affair, Mr. Weasley telling his wife about his day at work, and Bill, Charlie telling their parents about their respective jobs; Bill working as a curse breaker at Gringotts and Charlie currently home from dragon training in Romania. However, the remaining Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, and Buffy were having a much more entertaining conversation.

"So there I am, running as fast as I can through my high school, that huge-ass snake behind me, knocking down walls and busting through doors. And well... a long story short, there was a large amount of dynamite involved, and we... uh... sort of blew up my school," Buffy finished, having been forced into telling the story of her high school graduation. Fred and George were looking at her in awe as if they had never seen anybody more amazing in their lives, while Hermione looked torn between horror and awe at her story. Ginny, Ron, and Harry, were laughing at the looks on the twin's faces, exceptionally impressed with Buffy as well. Hedwig, Pigwidgeon, and Willow were soaring above them, looking for their dinner, and Crookshanks had hopped up onto the bench and was currently head butting Buffy's arm lightly for attention.

Pulling the cat onto her lap and scratching it gently behind the ears, she savored the sounds of laughter around her, missing her friends and life in Sunnydale greatly, but part of her loving her new life, knowing that she would never want to give it up.

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Whew! That was a LONG chapter. But it's been a while since I posted, and I thought y'all deserved a good one. That and all these scenes seemed to fit nicely with each other. Thankfully, my case of writers block has seemed to have resolved itself...

And, I PROMSE that I'll be starting the school year in the next chapter. I'm getting sort of bored writing about summer... Anyhoo, hope you enjoy!


	10. The Beginning of the School Year

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! Dumbledore's opening speech has been influenced by those in books 1-6... More of a mix of those, actually.

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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Thanks to everyone for their wonderful reviews! Sorry it's taken me so long to get this next chapter out, but real life's been kicking my ass (Ok, well not really, but I've been trying to read HP books 5 and 6 before the movie and next book come out...).

Masked Critic: I'm glad you like it! I know it's a bit clichéd, but I just wanted to write a Buffy/HP fic with a bit of my own flair. Your comment about Eyelop's/Eeylop's; I found it spelled as Eeylop's in a few places (not quite sure of the sites), but I didn't check the book, so you could be right. Thanks for pointing it out. About your little rant on Malfoy (don't worry, I pretty much feel the same way about him...) I've taken that into extreme consideration when deciding my pairing for this fic.

enchantedlight: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy it!

PrInCeSsFBi: You just might be my most loyal reviewer... I'm glad you're liking it!

Never Is An Awfully Long Time: Thanks for your suggestion! I'll definitely take it into consideration. I agree. I hate Harry/Ginny too... Ugh, the thought just makes my skin crawl...

Allen Pitt: I was actually thinking of doing that, but I felt that it might be a bit cliché... Will most definitely consider it, though!

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To make my Wandless Defense class possible, I'm conveniently ignoring the fact that the kids were taught nonverbal spells in the last book...

Oh, and I'm kind of new at writing fight scenes, so here's my first attempt. Will try to make it more exciting in the future... --

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The rest of the month of August passed quickly, bringing the extreme heat of summer with it and giving way to the changing leaves and briskness of September. Buffy's visits to the Burrow and Grimmauld Place had become less frequent, and she was hardly able to spend time with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, as she had lots to prepare before the start of term. As usual, Lupin was pushing her as hard as he could to memorize books of magical creatures and spells so that she would be ready to co-teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Although there was not much preparation for her Wandless Defense class, Giles had amped up her training, claiming that it would be necessary for the upcoming war. In addition to the private lessons she was taking from her fellow professors so that she could continue her progress in magic, Dumbledore had also suggested that she take Occlumency with Professor Snape, as he believed that Lord Voldemort would attempt to lure her to his side. Because they had been so busy, Buffy and Giles had not had the opportunity to return home for a visit, but kept in contact with the gang by calling or sending letters through owl post almost every day.

Currently, Buffy was leaning casually against a column on platform 9¾, watching kids bid their parents goodbye before dragging their trunks and pets onto the train. She had been asked by Dumbledore to supervise the ride to Hogwarts and to make sure that Harry stayed safe, but the thing she was looking forward to was seeing her four Gryffindor friends. Tapping her foot impatiently on the wall behind her and casting longing glances at the hugs families were exchanging, she noticed Mr. Weasley step through the barrier and hurried over to meet him.

"Hey, Mr. Weasley!" she greeted, bouncing up to his side.

"Oh, Buffy! So good to see you!" he responded, looking back at the barrier briefly to see Mrs. Weasley and Ginny step through. "Here to supervise the Hogwarts Express, are you?" Buffy didn't have time to answer, as she was attacked by both Ginny and Hermione, who had just stepped through the barrier with Harry and Ron.

"Oh, hello, Buffy dear!" Mrs. Weasley greeted, pulling Buffy into a hug after Ginny and Hermione had let go. "You'll take care of this lot, won't you? They do have a tendency to get themselves into trouble."

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley," said Buffy, sending a smirk at Ron and Harry, who responded with playful glares of their own. "I'll make sure to-..."

"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. "Sorry dear," she apologized at her interruption, "but the train is about to leave. You'd all better get on board, now." Sure enough, a loud warning whistle sounded and a plume of smoke rose from the train. After their final farewell hugs from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the five boarded the train, dragging their trunks and possessions after them.

"Alright then..." started Buffy, glancing at all the kids that were milling around on the train. "Why don't you guys go get a compartment. I have to patrol a bit to make sure that no on causes any trouble..." She made a face, making it obvious that she'd much rather sit with them than do her job. The parted ways, Ron and Hermione heading to the prefect's compartment, Harry and Ginny to find an empty one of their own, and Buffy to roam around looking for troublemakers. Feeling the train jerk to a start and hearing students and their parents yelling goodbye to each other, Buffy headed toward the back, earning a large amount of appreciative glances from the male population that she chose to ignore.

Twenty minutes later, Buffy abandoned her duty in search of her friends, nothing of importance having happened; the only thing being having to help a third year find her pet Puffskein. Picking at her nails absently as she walked down the hallway, she stopped when she saw a familiar blond boy and his two lackeys.

"Ah, ah, ah," the boy taunted, wand held at the ready. "None of that, Potter. If you keep talking back to me, I may be forced to take away some points from Gryffindor. Oi! Get back, Granger. I don't want to get any mudblood on my new robes..." Fuming, Buffy strode up to him, hands on her hips, positively livid that he dared threaten her friends like that.

"Excuse me," she said in her best ditzy, blond, air-head voice. "Am I interrupting anything?" Draco turned to tell off the person that had interrupted the fight, but stopped suddenly as he caught sight of Buff's long blond hair, tight leather pants, and beautiful green eyes.

"Of course not, sweetheart," he purred silkily, completely forgetting about Harry and his friends and turning on the charm. _Ew, could this guy be any lamer?_ Buffy thought, but she kept her face calm, hiding her disgust behind a slight pout and wide eyes. "I don't believe that we've had the pleasure of meeting. My name's Draco Malfoy." He offered her his hand, which she took, repressing the impulse to wipe her hand on her pants after she let go.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy," she responded just as silkily, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. "I'm Buffy Summers." She dropped the innocent act, eyes hardening and ditzy smile forming into a slight smirk. "Actually, I guess that'd be _Professor _Summers to you. Your new DADA professor, in fact. And you know something?" She paused for dramatic effect, seeing his eyes widen slightly at the revelation that she was his new professor. "I really... _really _hate bullies. So if I ever see you harassing another another kid or threatening them with your wand," she leaned closer toward him so that her mouth was merely inches away from his ear, feeling him shiver slightly at the close contact, "I'll make you wish that you had never set your beady little gray eyes on me." She pulled back and smiled widely, reveling in the dumbstruck look on his face before stepping around him and the two other boys and into the compartment that her friends were in. "Alrighty then, have a fun train ride!" Slamming the door in his face with a flourish, she turned around to see Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, in addition to a girl with waist-length dirty blond hair and a round faced boy with light brown hair, looking at her with wide eyes and shocked looks on their faces.

"Hey guys," she said brightly, sitting down and flicking an imaginary piece of lint off of her pants as if nothing had happened. "What's up?" They continued to stare at her. "What?"

"That was bloody brilliant!" exclaimed Ron, which resulted in the usual smack to his head by Hermione for his swearing. "Ow! It was!"

"No biggy," she answered, shrugging nonchalantly. "I hate bullies, especially those that attack my friends."

"You didn't have to do that," added Harry, blushing a bit in embarrassment that Buffy had to come to his aid, but at the same time, grateful that she did.

"Don't mention it," Buffy answered with a smile. "After all, you guys've been so nice helping me out with everything." She turned away from the four Gryffindors and toward the two people she had yet to meet. "Er, hi! I don't believe we've met... I'm Buffy, and you are...?" she trailed off, hoping that they would get the hint and introduce themselves. The boy managed to stutter out that his name was Neville, looking at her shyly, and the girl answered that her name was Luna in a soft, airy voice before retreating behind a magazine titled "The Quibbler."

"So, Buffy," started Hermione, drawing all attention toward her. "Dumbledore's got you on Hogwarts duty?"

"Wellllll..." answered Buffy. "Sort of. More like Harry duty, really. Wants to make sure that no big bads come around and snatch him off the train. Haven't seen anything, though. Oh, unless you count those idiots." She jerked her thumb toward the door were Draco and his two cronies had been standing. Before anyone could say anything else, an older witch slid open the door, revealing a trolley full of treats.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked, looking from person to person. Harry ended up buying an armful of sweets that he then shared with the rest of his friends. Currently, Ron and Hermione were digging into a box of Bernie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Ginny and Neville were each chewing on a Licorice wand, Luna was still reading her magazine upside down with her Sugar Quill sitting forgotten on her lap, Harry was half way through his second pumpkin pastry, and Buffy was dangling a Chocolate Frog frog in the air by its leg. A second ago when she had opened its wrapper, it had made a leap for freedom, resulting in Buffy squeaking loudly and dropping it onto the seat next to her in surprise. Using her Slayer speed and agility, she had shot her hand out, catching it between her fingers, and was currently poking it with her wand hesitantly.

"Uhhhhhhh?" she said, looking at Harry for an explanation for why her chocolate was alive.

"It's bewitched to seem alive. Don't worry, it's not a real frog," explained Harry, smiling at the confused expression on her face. "Go on... It's just regular chocolate." She took a small bite at the frog's leg, grinning happily as the taste of chocolate filled her mouth.

"Mmmmm-... Hey!" she exclaimed through a mouthful of chocolate, picking up the card from the wrapper, looking at the moving figure in awe. Everyone, with the exception of Luna, turned toward her to see what she was so excited about. "Woah! Oh my god! Merlin's a real person? That's so cool! I wonder if Willow knows..." She trailed off, slipping the card into her pocket and making a mental note to include it in her next letter to the gang. The seven friends continued to talk and joke about random things for about twenty minutes before they felt the train slowing down.

"Ughhh," Buffy whined, standing up and moving toward the door. "You guys'd better change into your robes... I gotta go give the halls a final patrol..." She exited the compartment, turning left down the hall toward the front of the train, eyes peeled for any sign of trouble. Everyone was back in their compartments changing, and the hall was completely empty. She walked up and down the halls aimlessly for another couple minutes before feeling the train come to a stop, and making her way toward the exit, jumped off onto the platform. Spotting Hagrid by the lake, she walked over, offering him a smile and a wave.

"Hey, Hagrid!" she called once she was close enough for him to hear her.

"Buffy!" he greeted, beaming at her. "Yeh here keepin' an eye on Harry?"

"Yep," she answered, nodding enthusiastically. "What're you doing here?"

"Just here ter get the firs' years up ter the castle..." he said, trailing off as he noticed the mass of kids getting off of the train. "Sorry, Buffy... I-..."

"No problem, Hagrid," she interrupted gently, seeing that he had to go. "Gotta go find Harry anyways..." She walked off, smiling at Hagrid's yelling of "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" and made her way through the throngs of kids to the Thestral-drawn carriages, absently petting one that had walked toward her and nuzzled her arm. Spotting Ron's red hair among the mass of people, gave the Thestral one last pat before making her way toward them, stopping when she was right behind them.

"Hey guys!" she greeted cheerily, making Ron spin around quickly, dropping his trunk on his foot in the process. Buffy winced slightly at the loud _thunk_, while the others turned, noticing her as a result of Ron's loud swearing.

"Bloody hell, woman!" he swore, hopping up and down on his good food and holding his injured one in his hands. "Do you always sneak up on people like that?"

"Sorry, Ron," she apologized, feeling guilty about unintentionally hurting her friend. "Kinda fits in with the job description. Don't even really realize I'm doing it anymore." At Ron's acceptance of her apology, they separated, Buffy, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna getting into one carriage and Harry, Ron, and Neville climbing into another.

A short while later, the carriages pulled to a halt in front of the castle's huge double oak front doors. Jumping out of the carriage, Buffy looked down toward the lake, which was specked with boats, feeling Hermione, Ginny, and Luna get out behind her. By the time they had reached the front doors, Harry, Ron, and Neville had already dismounted from their own carriage, and they all made their way through the entrance hall and into the Great Hall together; that night, the ceiling was a clear, dark blue illuminated with hundreds of stars. The second Buffy stepped foot in the Great Hall, her Slayer senses were assaulted by the presence of magic, making her stumble slightly and Harry, who was next to her look at her with a concerned expression on his face, but she waved it off as a result of the hundreds of witches and wizards that now inhabited Hogwarts. The seven bid each other farewell as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny headed to the Gryffindor table, Luna went to join her fellow Ravenclaws, and Buffy started walking toward the staff table.

Reaching the table, she gave Dumbledore a small wave before settling herself down in a chair between Giles and Snape. Noticing her arrival, Giles gave her a warm smile before returning to his conversation about dark creatures with Lupin, leaving Buffy to try and make small talk with Snape until he was finished. Even though they still had their disagreements, Buffy and Snape had gotten to know each other better over the past few months and had settled on a somewhat comfortable relationship. Though he hated to admit it, as he was still livid that she had gotten the Defense Against the Dark Arts job instead of him, Snape had come to develop a soft spot for the blond Slayer. While Snape kept up his facade of disliking the blond Slayer, she had taken to teasing him mercilessly and making jokes, something that he often sneered at despite his grudging enjoyment of her presence.

"Hey there, Snapey!" greeted Buffy, using a nickname that she knew he hated. "What's the what?"

"Hello, _Miss Summers_," replied Snape, deliberately addressing Buffy in this manner as a form of retaliation. "And as usual, I haven't the slightest idea what you are blathering on about."

"Oh, come on now. You know that I bring all of the sunshine into pathetic little life," she retorted jokingly, giving him and overenthusiastic grin. Before he could make a snide comment in response, the doors to the Great Hall swung open, and through them stepped McGonagall followed by a mass of scared, shaking first years. They walked nearly all the way toward the staff table, stopping when they came across a stool with an old hat placed on top of it. Buffy had seen the hat in Dumbledore's office before and had never thought anything of it, thinking that it was simply a useless old possession. As a result, when a rip appeared at its brim and it began singing, her eyes widened slightly before she stretched out her senses to try and get a read on the object. She felt nothing evil, and since no one else seemed to be phased in the slightest (well, other than the first years who were looking at the hat in shock and awe), she merely shrugged and went back to scanning her eyes over the Great Hall. After all, a talking hat was hardly the strangest thing she had witnessed since she had arrived at Hogwarts.

A few minutes later, the hat's song came to a close, which was met by a loud applause by the students and Professors, and Professor McGonagall appeared, carrying a long scroll and explaining to the first years how they were going to be sorted before calling out "Abrams, Michael." A tiny boy with flaming red hair stepped forward toward the stool, tripping slightly over the hem of his too-long robes, before settling himself down on the stool and accepting the hat hesitantly from Professor McGonagall. A minute passed in silence, all eyes on the small boy who looked like he was about to be sick from all the attention before the hat shouted "RAVENCLAW," making the boy jump and fling off the hat before hurrying toward the table to get out of the spotlight. Next was Adams, Leslie who was sorted into Slytherin to a loud applause by her fellow housemates. This continued until Zuker, Christina was sorted into Gryffindor.

Once the sorting was completed, Dumbledore stood to make his opening speech, the chatter that hat erupted as a response to new members being placed into houses stopped suddenly, everyone turning toward the Headmaster.

"Welcome!" started the Headmaster, beaming at all of the students. "To another year at Hogwarts! Before the feast may begin, I have the pleasure of welcoming two new teachers, and one old to our ranks this year. With the threat of the upcoming war upon us, a new course, Wandless Defense, has been added and is mandatory for all students. I am pleased to announce that Professor Giles..." a smattering of polite, unenthusiastic applause to which Giles smiled slightly embarrassedly "and Professor Summers..." quite a larger applause than Giles had received, mostly from the male student population, and a few wolf whistles to which Buffy smiled widely and gave a mock-salute "have volunteered to teach this subject."

"In addition, Professor Summers has also kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher along with, a man who I am extremely pleased to welcome back, Professor Lupin." The hall erupted in applause and cheers, which were particularly loud at the Gryffindor table. Buffy clapped as loud as any of the students, cheering and flashing Lupin a bright smile when he looked her way, trying to ignore Snape, who was not clapping and was simply sitting there with a scowl on his face, as best as she could.

"Now," continued Dumbledore bemusedly as the last of the applause from the announcement of Lupin's return had subsided. "Let the feast begin!" Once the Headmaster had seated himself, he golden plates and goblets miraculously filled with all sorts of food, and chatter once again filled the Great Hall, students scrambling to grab any food they could get their hands on.

"Wow," breathed Buffy, eyes wide and mouth open. This was her first big meal in the Great Hall. She usually went to the kitchens in search of food, as the hours in which she was awake were usually quite different than those of the other inhabitants of the castle. Without another word, she piled her plate high with food, stuffing a roll into her mouth as she did, and gave Snape a grin at his startled and somewhat disgusted expression.

Leaving Snape to glower slightly into his goblet of pumpkin juice, Buffy turned to Giles and Lupin, quickly becoming emerged in their discussion of vampires. Looking up and scanning the hall and catching Harry's gaze, she winked at him playfully before turning back to her co-professor in response to a question he asked her. After about an hour of laughter, talk, and the clatter of forks and knives, the leftover food disappeared from the plates, leaving them as spotless as they had been when the students had arrived.

Once again, Dumbledore stood, this simple action causing everyone to stop talking and turn toward the front of the hall. After a brief speech imploring the students to keep safe and to always keep their guard up now that they were in the middle of a war, and of course the bit about the Forbidden Forest and any products from Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes being off limits, he gave the word for them all to go to bed. Seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione looking her direction, Buffy flashed them a grin and a wave before they were swept up as the students streamed from the Great Hall. Standing up, she gave the Headmaster a nod before following Giles toward the entrance of the hall.

"Hey, Giles?" she asked, bouncing up to him and fixing him with her most convincing pout. "All the magic these kids are giving off is making me all antsy... Can we go... uh..." She glanced around at the students still in earshot and leaned in to whisper in her Watcher's ear. "...patrolling?" She pulled back of Giles' personal space and continued in a normal voice. "I need to get out all this excess energy otherwise I won't be able to sleep tonight..."

"Of course," he answered, smiling down at her warmly. "Shall we go directly or...?"

"Nah, I need to grab some supplies and maybe a jacket or something... Stupid cold weather... Meet ya in the entrance hall in like ten or so?" At his nod, she bounded off, giving him a last smile, exiting through the large doors of the Great Hall, and passing large groups of students who all stared at her as she hurried past toward her rooms.

Throwing the password at Sir Charles, she stepped through the portrait hole, first stopping in her bedroom to throw on a jacket over her white tank-top and change out of her leather pants and into a pair of well-worn jeans. Dumbledore had extended an invitation to Buffy and Giles to wear their own clothes instead of robes if they so wished, an offer that they accepted in a heartbeat. Neither entirely fancied dressing in robes for the whole year, especially because being a Watcher and a Slayer required them getting thrown around quite a bit. Pulling on her boots, she headed across the sitting area toward the training room to grab a few stakes before once again exiting the portrait hole.

Making her way down the various hallways and staircases that led to the entrance hall, she noted the distinct absence of kids due to the new security measure stating that all students must return to their common rooms by eight o'clock. Spotting Giles examining a painting at the bottom of the stairs, she joined up with him, and the two made their way out of the double oak front doors and down toward the forest. A small stream of smoke was winding itself out of the chimney to Hagrid's hut and the lights were on, but other than that, neither could see any other sign of life in the darkness.

Entering the forest, Buffy pulled out her wand from her back pocket, muttering _Lumos_ smiling excitedly as the tip of her wand lit up. She had become quite accomplished at simple spells; both Giles and the other Professors were amazed at how quickly she had picked up magic. It seemed that being the Slayer had given her quite an advantage in the magical world after all. Traipsing deeper and deeper into the forest, all the while being snagged and cut by stray branches, she emerged in a clearing with Giles close on her heels. Handing Giles her wand, she scanned the darkness and honed her Slayer skills for any unusual presence.

"I've been having dreams," she stated matter-of-factly, turning around to face her Watcher.

"Pardon?" he questioned, a bit confused about how they had arrived at this subject. Snapping out of it, he continued. "Oh, of course. Downside to being the Slayer, I suppose. More about Harry?"

"Nah..." she said, turning back to the forest and staring into the darkness. "Something else. It's weird. One second I'm standing in front of a stone arch with a curtain and the next I'm in a complete different place. It's completely dark, and I can hear all of these people whispering around me..." But before she could continue or Giles could comment, something emerged from the darkness of the forest with a loud rustling noise. Squinting slightly to see better, Buffy quickly deduced that there appeared to be at least five vampires, all in full game face, surrounding them.

"Slayer..." one snarled. Buffy took this one to be the leader, as he was walking toward her while the others stayed put. "I come with an offer from the Dark Lord. He extends an offer for you to join his side. He assures you that he has much more to offer you than Albus Dumbledore." He practically spit the last two words, showing his intense disgust for the Headmaster.

"Hmmm..." she answered, bringing her hand to her mouth and tilting her head in a gesture of contemplation. "Nope! Sorry guys, Voldemort's gonna have to offer me so much more than that to get me on his side! I'd really like to help you but... Actually, I'd rather kill you. I haven't killed anything in a while, and it's getting a bit annoying, sooooo..." The vampire snarled again and gave the gesture to attack, the rest of the vampires closing in on Buffy and Giles.

Turning toward Giles, she gave the slightest of nods and tossed him one of her stakes. In turn, he passed her her wand before turning and beginning to fight the vampire that had come up behind him. Brandishing a stake in her right hand and her wand in her left, Buffy gracefully sidestepped the vampire that was charging her, spinning around and staking him neatly through the heart before he could take another step. Feeling a blow hit her lower back, she found herself sprawled on the dirt floor, wincing at the pain in her back. Pushing the pain aside, she flipped up from the ground within seconds, landing a blow square in the vampire's face before jumping onto a stump for leverage and roundhouse kicking another in the chest. Ducking under the arm of a fourth, she grabbed its arm, slamming it into a tree, and conveniently onto a protruding branch.

Glancing around to see that Giles had disposed of his first vampire and was currently fighting his second, Buffy turned toward the leader of the group. Obviously furious that his companions had been taken down with such ease, he attacked with such ruthlessness that Buffy found herself being backed up against a tree. Now matching the vampire blow for blow, she ducked, his oncoming fist smashing into the tree behind her. Reappearing behind him, she staked him quickly, watching him explode into a cloud of dust.

Seeing that Giles had finished with his own vampire, she snatched up her fallen wand before striding up to him and brushing the dust off of his jacket. After giving him a look that he interpreted as her being extremely satisfied that she had finally had the chance to kill something, she sighed, bringing up a hand to push the hair out of her eyes.

"Well..." she started, gleeful smile turning into a frown almost instantly as she gazed up at her mentor, remembering the conversation that had just occurred. "That can't be good."


	11. The First Day of Lessons

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

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Sorry for the long period of time that it took me to write this update! I've been on vacation for the past week and didn't have access to the internet. I did, however, have a chance to see the fifth movie and finish the seventh book. I was a bit disappointed with both of them, but whatever, they were both pretty good overall.

I will not be using the plot from HP and the DH, but I might some of the spells, memories and other little things that I learned from the book. If there's anything that might give away any of its key points, I promise that I'll put up a huge, flashing SPOILERS sign before I use it.

I'm using the O.W.L. grading criteria for N.E.W.T.s, as I don't really know if they grade them the same. Also, I'm conveniently ignoring some of the stuff that the kids learned in previous years, so that Buffy and Lupin can teach it to them. Lastly, I'm using my artistic license and allowing the the _protego_ spell to be cast onto someone else as protection, because I don't know of another spell that does this, and I'm too lazy to make one up. --

Thanks to PrInCeSsFBi, enchantedlight, MadBrilliant1880 (you were so sweet to review almost every chapter! ), and magdalene82 for your reviews!

Now, enough of that. On with what you guys were looking forward to!

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The next morning, Buffy sat at the staff table in between Giles and Lupin, barely able to eat anything. Despite her Watcher and co-professor constantly pushing various items of food onto her plate, she barely managed to force down a small piece of toast and jam, the nerves of having her first class in barely an hour making her slightly nauseous.

She pushed her plate away from her and stood up from the table, giving Giles and Lupin a smile to reassure them that she would to be okay, before crossing the hall, exiting out of the front doors, and making her way down to the lake. Flopping onto the grass, she gazed up at the cloud-filled sky, wondering what she had gotten herself into. _I can't do this_, she thought to herself, _What was I thinking? Giles should be teaching. Or Willow. Anybody but me. I am so screwed. _So lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice when someone walked up behind her.

"Hey." She sat up and turned around immediately when she heard the soft greeting, relaxing once she saw that it was only Harry.

"Hey yourself," she responded, giving him a smile and gesturing for him to sit down. "What're you doing up so early?" she asked once he had settled down in the grass beside her.

"Wanted to get some breakfast before everyone else came down. And my schedule." He pulled a small piece of parchment from his robes. "Ron and Hermione are still in there getting theirs from McGonagall. I saw you leave the hall, so I figured I'd catch up with you." Pause. "I've got DADA first period... with all the houses."

"Ugh," she said, flopping back down on the grass, sufficiently summing up everything that was running through her head in one word. Pause. "I am so not ready for this. I mean what was Dumbledore thinking? Hiring me? I'm eighteen-years-old for God's sake! I can't teach you guys!" She groaned, bringing up her hands to rub her face, before sitting up and turning toward Harry. He was looking at her with a strange expression, but quickly schooled his features into a reassuring smile once she was facing him.

"You'll do great." He placed his hand on her arm in a gesture of comfort. They both felt an odd tingling sensation at the place where their flesh had touched, and the broke apart, Harry clearing his throat slightly uncomfortably and Buffy turning her gaze back to the lake. "I mean, you have dealt with more dark creatures than all if us put together," he continued, attempting to gloss over the moment that they had just had. "And Remus. After all, he was the best DADA teacher we've ever had."

"Yeah, I guess..." she trailed off, still looking into the lake. "And I don't think Wandless Defense'll be that bad. That's more my think. Plus I still have Giles." She looked back over at Harry. He was smiling at her, and she easily flashed one back. "Thanks. What would I do without you?"

The two continued to talk about random, light-hearted things until Buffy glanced at her watch and noticed that twenty minutes had gone by. She stood up, raising her hands above her head and stretching out her back with a _crack_ and closing her eyes, reveling in the sunshine warm on her face. Opening her eyes, she saw that Harry had also risen to his feet and was checking the time in his own watch. Without another word, the two re-entered the castle, Harry heading into the Great Hall to find Hermione and Ron, and Buffy started to climb the marble staircase leading to the first floor. Turning to the right at the top of the stairs, she wandered down the hallway for a ways, stopping in front of the door to her classroom. Opening the door and stepping into the room, she saw Lupin sitting at the desk with a stack of papers in front of him.

"Hey," she greeted, closing the door quietly and he looked up, offering her a smile.

"Oh, Buffy!" responded Lupin, gesturing her over to the desk. "Are you alright? I was quite worried about you."

"What?" she asked, stopping in front of the desk and hopping up, perching herself on the edge. "Oh, yeah, find. Peachy with a side of keen. Just needed to clear my head's all. So, whatcha doing?"

"Just looking over the student list." He gestured toward the paper he was reading, and she leaned forward to get a better look. She smiled when she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione's names on the list, as well as Neville and Luna's, but barely suppressed a groan when she noticed that Malfoy's name was also on the list. She wasn't in the mood to deal with the blond idiot so early in the morning. Clearly annoyed, she turned away from Lupin, who had resumed rustling through the papers, and pulled out her wand, intent on practicing a spell that Hermione had tried to teach her a few days ago.

"_Reducto!_" she muttered, pointing her wand at one of the student desks in front of her. Nothing happened. She frowned and glanced toward Lupin, who appeared to be paying her little attention. She tried again: nothing. "_Reducto!_" she muttered for the third time, this time a bit louder a bit louder, concentrating harder. To her immense surprise, the desk exploded with a _bang, _pelting her with fragments of wood and causing her to fall backwards off the desk with a small shriek. The blast had also startled Lupin; he nearly fell out of his chair, sending the papers on his desk flying before looking down at Buffy laying on the floor and burst out laughing.

"Ha, ha," she said sarcastically, pushing herself up off the floor and attempting to brush the dust and wood off of her. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to clean herself up without magic, she pointed her wand at herself and muttered _tergeo_, beaming at Lupin when her clothes became spotless once again. "Jerk. Would you mind..." she trailed off pointing, to the demolished desk in front of her. Still laughing, he conjured a new desk from thin air and got rid of the remaining pieces of the old one before bending down to retrieve his fallen papers. Joining in the laughter, she once again seated herself on the edge of Lupin's desk, looking toward the front of the room when the door opened. Buffy smiled as she caught a glimpse of Harry, Ron, and Hermione through the door and gestured them in, happy that they were the first to arrive.

"Hey, Buffy!" the three chorused, dropping their bags on a desk in the front of the classroom before making their way to where Buffy and Lupin sat.

"Hi, Professor," added Hermione with a glance over at Lupin; he merely smiled at her in greeting and turned back to the papers in front of him.

"Hey! I'm a professor too!" said Buffy indignantly, but smiled to show that she was joking. "Kidding." Pause. "If you call me Professor, I'll slay you. Anyways, check out what I can do!" She pointed her wand toward a glass paperweight and muttered _reducto_, concentrating as hard as she could on blowing it up. This time, it only took her one try and the paperweight exploded, sending a thin glass mist floating through the air. Buffy grinned, and the trio looked a bit surprised but ecstatic, but Lupin merely waved his wand and cleared away the mess without looking up from his desk.

"Oh my god!" squealed Hermione and rushed over to hug the Slayer. "Excellent! You're picking things up so fast!"

"Yeah, even better than 'Mione, here. Guess you got some competition after all," added Ron, earning him a withering look from Hermione and laughs from Harry and Buffy. The Slayer had already learned that he friend aspired to be the best in everything she attempted.

"Pff, don't worry 'Mione," reassured Buffy, giving Hermione a bright smile. "You're way better than me. Don't think you're going to have to worry 'bout me catching up."

"Oh! That's only because we're in seventh year!" Hermione always felt the need to encourage her when it came to using magic. "You musn't think like that!"

"Woah! Chill! I'm sure I'll do awesomely with an oh so brilliant teacher like yourself," responded Buffy, causing Hermione to blush at the compliment. However, before she could respond, the classroom door opened, and kids filed in, ready for their first DADA class of the year. At once, Buffy felt a rush of nervousness hit her and turned to the trio with her eyes wide. 

"It's alright, you'll do fine. Just relax," reassured Hermione and she, Harry, and Ron each gave her an encouraging smile before returning to their desk. Looking around, Buffy realized that there were about fifteen kids in the class, and spotting Neville, gave him a little wave, which he easily returned before taking a seat at the trio's table. Within a few minutes, every table was filled with students, and they were all looking expectantly at both Buffy and Lupin.

"Good morning," started Lupin, which resulted in a "good morning" from the class which was particularly enthusiastic from the Gryffindors. "As you all know, N.E.W.T.s are subject-specific examinations taken by seventh years to help place them into positions at the Ministry. I'm sure you will be talking about these examinations in all of your classes, so I will not go into it any further, though we do expect an Outstanding from each and every one of you."

"Seriously, this stuff is way more interesting than the Math and English I had to suffer through," quipped Buffy, earning a smile from muggle borns and confused looks from those who had known they were witches and wizards their whole lives. "So you'd better pass. But yeah, anyways, since we decided not to bore you with a lecture on the N.E.W.T.s, we're gonna dive right into our lesson." A groan from the students. "Oh please," she gave them a withering look, "This'll be way more interesting. So hush. Yeah, so, who can tell me about vampires?"

"Miss Granger," said Lupin, as Hermione raised her hand, causing Buffy to suppress a smile.

"A vampire is a reanimated corpse who feeds by draining and consuming the blood of living beings, usually human," she answered right out of her textbook.

"Very good, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor," said Lupin, smiling at her. "Now, how are vampires created?" Hermione's hand shot into the air once again.

"Blood exchange is required to create a new vampire. Victims of vampire attacks do not turn into new vampires unless they consume the vampire's blood when near death. If the vampire drains all of the victim's blood, he or she will simply die."

"Good," Buffy smiled at Hermione. "Now, what are the four ways one can kill a vampire?" As usual, Hermione raised her hand, as did a sandy-haired boy who was dressed in Hufflepuff colors. "Yes, Mr..."

"Macmillan" he answered with a pompous tinge to his voice. Buffy raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, letting him continue with his answer. "One can kill a vampire by staking, sunlight, fire, or beheading."

"Good! Five points to Hufflepuff," responded Buffy, and turned toward Lupin for permission to go on. At his nod, she continued. "Okay, so, in this unit, we're going to concentrate on four specific vampires. The Scourge of Europe. Who were the four vampires that were part of this pack?" Hermione again raised her hand, in addition to, to Buffy's surprise, Draco Malfoy.

"Mr. Malfoy," said Lupin, pointing in Draco's direction.

"The Scourge of Europe consists of Darla, Angelus, Drusilla, and Spike. William the Bloody, if you prefer," he answered, looking straight into Buffy's eyes. She felt a strange jolt at the way he was looking at her, but remained still, refusing to remove her eyes from his.

"Excellent, Mr. Malfoy," replied Lupin, watching the interaction uneasily. "Five points. Now." He paused, causing both Draco and Buffy to turn in his direction. "A one foot essay on the Scourge of Europe will be due next class. You may start working on it now."

There was a collective groan and a shuffling of papers as the class pulled out their quills, books, and parchment in order to start their essays. Ignoring the rest of the class, Buffy moved toward Lupin, getting close enough that she could whisper to him without anyone else hearing.

"He knows something!" she said, whispering harshly. "You saw the way he was looking at me! What if Voldemort is using vamps? Is that possible?"

"It is quite possible... He did recruit the service of vampires during the last war..." Lupin trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. The two continued to whisper for the rest of class, and once the bell rang, the students clambered toward the door, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sending her a smile before exiting the classroom on the way to their next class.

The next few classes sailed by, Buffy still lost in thought about her encounter with Draco. After finishing up a class in which Buffy and Lupin taught third years how to deal with a hinkypunk, the she headed down to the Great Hall for lunch, needing a break before having her first Wandless Defense class. Since he had a free period next, Lupin had decided to remain in his office rather than go down for lunch. Walking through the hall and seeing the tables scattered with various students, she waved at the trio before heading up to the staff table to join Giles.

"Oh, Buffy!" he greeted, looking up from a book that he had propped up against a jug of pumpkin juice. "How were your classes this morning? Permanently scar any young children yet?"

"No," she said dryly, rolling her eyes at him. "It's actually been pretty good. Haven't really screwed up yet."

"Excellent..." he replied, pausing to take a turkey sandwich from a huge pile in the center of the table. Buffy helped herself to a chicken leg and dug in, waiting for Giles to continue. "I take it you are ready for our class this afternoon?"

"Yep," she said around her chicken leg, causing her Watcher to send her a withering look. "Should be cake. If I know anything, it'd be kicking the crap out of things." Finishing up her chicken leg, she grabbed an apple off of the table before turning to Giles who was once again immersed in his book. "Hey Giles?" He looked up. "I'm gonna go change, okay? Be back in a few minutes." At his nod, she exited the Great Hall and made her way up the stairs and through the corridors to her room. Stripping off her jeans, black camisole, and boots, she changed into a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt before pulling on sneakers and once again heading down to the Great Hall.

Once she arrived, she noticed that Giles had not moved from the spot she had left him at ten minutes ago, and walked over to him. Once she was standing next to him, Buffy glanced at her watch, seeing that their class was to start in twenty minutes. "We'd better go. Don't want to ruin your perfect attendance record, do we?" Giles payed her no attention; he was still emerged in the book in front of him. "Giles? Hellooooooooo?" Nothing. Buffy thought for a second and coming up with a plan, turned to Giles with a smirk. "AHHH! Giles look out! Vampire!"

Startled, he sprung into action, leaping out of his chair and spilling a glass of pumpkin juice across the table. Looking around, he realized that he was still in the Great Hall and had attracted quite a bit of attention from the students at the front of the tables. Looking down at Buffy, he saw that she was staring up at him, attempting to muffle her laughter by biting into her fist.

"Oh, ha, bloody, ha," he said sarcastically, sending her a glare which she ignored and continued laughing. "Was that necessary?"

"Sorry," she said, forcing herself to calm down. "You weren't responding. Class is in twenty minutes."

"Oh, yes, right, of course," Giles sputtered, gathering up his book and leading Buffy out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. Climbing a couple more staircases to the fourth floor, they turned right down the hallway, finally arriving at a dark, wooden door. Pushing the door open, Buffy felt her eyes widen; she had never seen this room before. The room was huge and covered wall to wall with blue pads. There was a display of various weapons of the wall which Giles assured her that only they could remove, and a doorway on the right side of the room led to what appeared to be a locker room.

"Woah..." she said, walking across the room toward the weapons.

"Indeed," agreed Giles. "Oh, we must remember to remind the children to wear more... er... appropriate attire for this class."

"Oh, right," said Buffy, taking her hand away from a particularly deadly looking axe and turning toward Giles. "Ew, yeah, I'd hate to fight in those robes they're forced to wear. That wouldn't turn out so good." A couple minutes passed in comfortable silence before the door opened and kids started filing in. Spotting Harry, Ron, and Hermione, she gave them a wave, which they eagerly returned, happy that they were in her first class. Having them there would make it much less nerve-wracking. Once everyone had entered the room, Buffy stepped forward, motioning for them to sit on the ground in front of her.

"Hey guys. So, Wandless Defense. Pretty self explanatory, right? We're going to teach you how to defend yourself without the use of your wand," Buffy said, looking toward Giles who gave her a reassuring smile. "Right, so-..."

"Why would we need to know that?" sneered Draco, causing Buffy to turn in his direction and give him a look that plainly said 'oh God, not you again.' The other Slytherins nodded in approval, and Buffy saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione glare back at the blond boy. "We'll always have our wands with us, so why do we need to know to fight like a muggle." He practically spit the last word, causing Buffy to narrow her eyes even more. Seeing that his Slayer glare at the boy and knowing that she would like nothing more than to jump over the group of students and tackle him, Giles responded for her.

"Mr. Malfoy is it? It is imperative to learn how to defend yourself physically in case you are forced into a situation where you have been separated from your wand by means of magic or physical force." When Draco didn't say anything in response, he continued. "Now, moving on. As you will be expected to perform the moves that Buffy and I aspire to teach you, we believe that it would not be practical for you to wear robes to this class."

"A t-shirt and sweats'll do it. Tennis shoes, too, if you got a pair," added Buffy, smiling at her Watcher's long-winded way of saying that the kids shouldn't wear robes to class. "Since you all are dressed in robes today, we'll just give you a demonstration of why it's important to be able to defend yourselves without magic."

"Oh, please. You don't look like you could hurt anyone, let alone someone who is the slightest bit proficient in magic," Draco interrupted once again. Buffy sent him a withering glare, but recovered quickly and flashed him a smile.

"Well then, _Mr. Malfoy_," she said sweetly, causing Giles to raise an eyebrow and wonder what she was up to. "You won't mind being my partner for our demonstration, then?" Not one to back down from a challenge, Draco rose to his feet to cheering from the other Slytherins. Walking toward Buffy, he stopped when he was about ten feet away from her. "Oh, you can use magic." The others watched as he pulled out his wand, taking aim at the petite blond in front of him.

"_Stupefy_," he shouted, and a red jet flew from his wand toward the Slayer. She easily dodged it, causing him to narrow his eyes and set off a series of spells, angry that he had not hit her. None of the spells made contact, as she dodged them easily, performing a series of flips and jumps so that she landed mere inches away from him. Giving him a wide smile, she snatched the wand out of his hand mid-spell, throwing it to Giles, who caught it easily, before backing a couple of inches back. Furious, he aimed a punch at her head, which she ducked, moving further out of reach. She caught his next punch in her hand and spun him around, giving him a small push so that he landed on the ground. Not giving him a chance to get back up, she straddled him and placed his arms above his head, effectively pinning him to the ground.

Reveling in the cheers of the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws, she gave him a smile, which he returned with a glare, before pushing herself to her feet and offering him a hand up. He refused, instead getting up on his own, before snatching his wand back from Buffy. Regarding her with a look of fury at embarrassing him, he waited until her back was turned before pointing his wand at her and shouting "_Furnunculus_!"

"Buffy!" Fearing that the Slayer would not dodge the spell, Hermione called her name, pulling her wand from her robes. "_Protego_!" The spell bounced off the shield she had created and hit the wall, which crumbled a bit under the impact.

"What do you think you're doing?" snarled Giles, striding toward Draco and grabbing the wand from his hand, his protectiveness for his Slayer coming out full force. "I ought to snap your wand in two. If you ever go near her again, I'll bloody kill you." He then proceeded to grab the front of Draco's robes, drag him to the door, and throw him out, closing it with a slam when he was finished. He turned back to the class, who whipped their gaze away from him once the noticed he was looking in their direction, scared of what he might do.

"Uh...," started Buffy, causing all eyes to turn toward her. "Well... I don't see us getting any more work done today, so why don't you guys head out. We'll pick up here next time..." The students didn't have to be told twice; there was a loud shuffling as they hurried out of the room. However, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed behind, wondering if they could do anything to help. "You guys go on," Buffy whispered, sending Giles a nervous glance. "I'll catch up with you later. And thanks... For, you know." The three nodded and left, not saying a word as they passed by the livid Watcher.

"Giles?" she asked softly, walking over to him and putting her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay? I should be asking you that! That pillock could have hurt you!" he replied, obviously still upset at what had happened.

"Woah! Giles! It's okay! I'm fine!" Buffy replied, eyes widening a bit at his temper flared once again. Noticing that he was still clutching Draco's wand in his hand, she raised an eyebrow, taking it before he could do something rash like breaking it in half. The kid _did_ need it after all. "C'mon let's go see what Dumbledore has to say about this." Without another word, he followed her out of the classroom, down the corridor, and down the stairs to the second floor, stopping in front of the large stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office. Buffy supplied the password, sugar quills, before stepping onto the stone staircase and riding it all the way to the top. She knocked once and upon hearing the Headmaster's "come in," opened the door and stepped through, Giles on her heels.

"Ah, Buffy, Rupert, what brings you here?" he asked serenely, motioning for them to take a seat in the chairs in front of his desk. Buffy complied, curling up in the plush chair, but Giles remained standing, too angry to seat himself.

"We had a... um... incident... in our Wandless Defense class..." she trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

"What sort of incident?" asked Dumbledore.

"Well, it wasn't a big deal but-..." she started, only to be interrupted by Giles.

"Not a big deal!" said Giles, looking straight at Dumbledore and ignoring Buffy's peas for him to calm down. "It bloody well was a big deal! That Malfoy boy attacked my Slayer when her back was turned. If Miss Granger hadn't blocked it, she could have been seriously hurt!"

"Yeah, but..." Buffy started, but was gently interrupted by the Headmaster.

"I am inclined to agree with Rupert," said Dumbledore, looking away from Giles and toward Buffy. "It is completely unacceptable that a student perform magic on a teacher without his or her knowledge and acceptance. I assure you, he will be punished for his actions."

"I want him out of my class," added Giles, a bit calmer, now that he knew that Draco was going to be punished.

"No, Giles," said Buffy firmly, turning toward her Watcher. "This kid needs this class, even though he was a total jerk about it. We've got to make sure he's able to defend himself."

"Alas, I believe she has a point," said Dumbledore, peering at her over his half-moon spectacles. "Mr. Malfoy is to remain in your class, but I assure you that nothing like this will happen again. You have my word." Giles still looked upset at the prospect of having Draco in his class, but trusted the Headmaster that his Slayer would be safe.

"Oh," said Buffy, realizing that she still had Draco's wand. She pulled it out and handed it to Dumbledore, who took it graciously. "Here, kid uh... dropped his wand when he was fleeing the room. But yeah, I gotta get going. Snape won't be happy if I'm late for his Occlumency lesson..." She made a face, clearly showing that she'd rather be doing anything than taking these lessons. "I'll be back later, 'kay?" The two nodded and she left the room, descended the stairs toward the dungeons, opening the door to Snape's office without bothering to knock.

"Miss Summers," said Snape coolly, obviously annoyed that she had just burst into his room without any warning. "On time for once, I see."

"Yep," she said, popping the p, something that she knew irritated her fellow professor. "Didn't want to keep you waiting. You know how much I enjoy these cozy little get-togethers of ours."

"Of course," said Snape, getting up from his desk and walking over to where Buffy was standing. "Now, if you are finished with your incessant babbling, shall we begin our lesson?"

"Aye, aye captain!" replied Buffy, giving him a mock salute which Snape purposely ignored. Instead of responding, he took out his wand, and placing the tip to his head. When he withdrew his wand, so did a strand of silvery substance, which fell into a stone basin when he pulled his wand away from it. He repeated this quite a few times, Buffy looking from him to the basin in confusion. He did this every time they had a lesson together, but never bothered to explain what he was doing. Buffy made a mental note to ask Giles about it after she was done here.

"Now, Miss Summers, take out your wand," he said, pointing his own in her direction. "You may use it to attempt to disarm me, or defend yourself in away other way you can think of."

"Yeah, right," Buffy answered, already knowing the drill.

"Brace yourself now... _Legilimens_!"

Buffy was six, riding a bike down the street while her dad was holding onto the handlebars, steering her, and her mother was standing on the sidewalk taking pictures... She was fighting her first vampire, pinned to the ground and feeling its hot breath on her neck... Xander and Willow were laying in the grass next to her, all laughing at a joke Xander had just finished telling... She and the Scoobies were in the library, books piled high in front of them, looking for anything they could find about the Mayor and his ascension... She was laying on her back on the ground, Angel's fangs buried in her neck, feeling the blood seep from her wound and into his mouth...

"NO!"

There was a sharp pain at the back of her head; she had fallen to the floor and had knocked it against the stone tiling. Snape's office had come back into view and looking around, she saw that he was looking down at her with a strange expression. Starting to push herself to her feet, she accepted the hand he had offered her, coming to a standing position once again.

"You must remain focused. Clear your mind. Let go of all emotions," said Snape, handing her back her wand that he had picked up from the floor.

"No emotions, got it," muttered Buffy, once again falling into a fighting stance, wand clutched tightly in her hand.

"Ready? _Legilimens_!"

She was at the ice skating rink by her home in L.A., arms stretched over her head, reveling in the feeling of the wind whipping across her face... It was her first day at Sunnydale High, she was in the library for the first time, terror flooding through her as Giles pushed a book titled '_Vampyre_' in front of her... She was at the Bronze, dancing with Willow and Xander...

Blinking her eyes, she realized that she was once again flat on her back on the floor, gasping for breath, sweat pouring off of her. She snatched up her wand before grabbing Shape's outstretched hand and pulling herself to her feet.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, clear my mind... go again," she said, frustrated that she couldn't seem to grasp the concept.

"_Legilimens_!"

She was three, baking cookies with her mother... She was sixteen, cold, and soaked from the rain, pressed against Angel and kissing him like she had never kissed anybody before...

_No... that's private..._ she thought, attempting to force herself back into Snape's office and away from the memories. Nothing; she concentrated harder. Slowly, the office came back into view, things were becoming clearer; Snape was standing a few feet away, pointing his wand at her.

"No! _Expelliarmus_!" She saw his wand fly out of his hand, and immediately, she felt the haze from the spell lift. She stumbled back, panting, and grabbed onto a table for support.

"Much better, Miss Summers," said Snape, looking somewhat impressed. "You managed to stop me eventually, though the goal is to repel me with your mind, so that you will not to resort to your wand."

"Yeah, okay," she replied, taking a deep breath and stepping away from the table. "Okay, go again."

"_Legilimens_!"

She was in the hospital looking at Willow's unconscious body with Xander and Oz... She was in her living room talking to Dumbledore for the first time... She was in a flowing white dress, following a small child to the Master's lair...

_Okay, concentrate... CONCENTRATE._ She gathered all her energy in an attempt to force Snape out of her mind. She pushed with all her might, blinking in surprise when she felt the spell lift and realized that she was standing up right in Snape's office. Looking across the room, she saw the potions master sprawled on the floor, surrounded by broken jars; apparently he had knocked into on of the shelves living his office. He stood up and with a flick of his wand, the jars had mended themselves and soared back onto the shelf.

"Did I do that?" she asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Indeed, Miss Summers," he said with a smile; the non-glare, non-smirk smile she had ever seen him wear. "Well done. You have progressed grately over the last few weeks."

"Yay! Go me!" she said, obviously excited, both at her achievement and his pride in her.

"However, we are aiming for you to keep the Dark Lord out of your mind without him knowing, but we will save that for another lesson. You are dismissed."

"Right, see ya later, Snapey!" And with that, she turned on her heel, marching out of the office toward Dumbledore's office, shoving her wand in her back pocket as she went. Arriving at the entrance to the Headmaster's office, she knocked once, entering once she heard him call out for her to come in.

"Ah, Buffy, I take it your lesson with Severus went well?" asked Dumbledore, smiling at her as she entered the room.

"Yep! I did it! I got him out of my brain without using my wand!" she said excitedly, looking toward Giles. She frowned slightly when she noticed how tense he was, but he sent her an encouraging smile none the less.

"Ah, excellent, Severus did say that you had a natural ability for Occlumency..." He trailed off, beaming at Buffy before gesturing toward a man with his back turned to her that she had not noticed. "I believe you two have had the pleasure of meeting..." The man turned ans she gasped slightly, feeling her stomach drop and her heart start beating faster. The two continued to stare at each other for a few moments before Buffy found her voice.

"Angel?"

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Oooooh, cliffhanger. Heh, anyways. That wasn't my best chapter, but for some reason, my muse sort of hates this story now. I have all these ideas for what I want to do, but I can't seem to find a way to lead into them.

Oh well. Hope you enjoyed anyways! Drop me a review on the way out! Now you can leave a review anonymously if you'd like. I wasn't aware that they were turned off until someone mentioned it to me, but now you can!


	12. A Meeting with the Dark Lord

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Thanks to Madbrilliant1880, PrInCeSsFBi (Wow! TWO reviews! ), xXTheBlackCanaryXx, enchantedlight, and Allen Pitt for all your lovely reviews! I'm glad you guys are liking this story so much!

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"Buffy," he greeted in that soft, silky voice of his. At this one word, Buffy felt all of the air rush out of her lungs; he was looking at her the way that always made her legs turn to jelly and her head feel lightheaded. _No wonder Giles looked sort of pissed_, she thought absently. He hadn't been fond of Angel since he had left his Slayer and broke her heart.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, unable to tear her gaze away from his chocolate-brown eyes. It was as if they were the only two people in the room. Nothing else existed except for them. _No,_she thought, scolding herself for her weakness, _ I can't do this again. I won't go back there_. She ripped her eyes from his, concentrating instead on the corner of Dumbledore's desk.

"I'm here with an offer from Lord Voldemort," he said simply, watching her carefully. All of a sudden, Buffy felt her world crash down upon her. He was here for Voldemort. Did that mean...? "I'm not him," he added, sensing what she was thinking; Giles had had the same reaction. "But he doesn't know that I'm not." Looking into his eyes, Buffy saw the guilt and pain reflected in them, not the cruelty and arrogance she had seen in Angelus' eyes.

"Oh," she said faintly, waiting for him to go on. She felt a hand press into her lower back and looked behind her to see Giles; he steered her forward and pushed her down into a chair, taking the seat next to her once he was sure that she wasn't going anywhere.

"I have been reporting to Albus for a couple of months. Voldemort recruited me not long after I left for L.A." He paused. It seemed like this was a sore point for him as well. "He said that if I got you to come to his side, we would both be greatly rewarded. He would give us two of his highest ranking positions."

"Why? Just because I'm the Slayer? How does he know I wouldn't rat him out to Dumbledore?" she asked, confused that Voldemort would be so quick to trust her especially when she was part of the Order.

"He felt that I would be able to exert some sort of... control over you. That you would obey his orders for fear that if you didn't, something would happen to one, or both, of us."

"That's stupid," Pause. "I mean, no offense, but my duty to the Order and to the Wizarding world. If I get killed in the process of keeping people safe, then so be it." Giles smiled at her sadly, but didn't say anything; she had grown immensely since her death at the hands of the Master. She now understood that she was a warrior, that she would have to sacrifice herself for the greater good. Angel, however, noticed that she had purposely ignored the issue of his wellbeing and frowned slightly, but he continued as if nothing had happened.

"What should I tell him?" Buffy thought for a few moments, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, before mimicking Willow's resolve face and announcing her decision.

"I'll do it," she said, looking from Angel to Giles to Dumbledore. They were all looking back at her, silently questioning if she knew what she was getting herself into.

"Buffy, you do realize the risk you are taking by putting yourself in this position..." Giles started, taking his glasses off and polishing them in a familiar gesture. Buffy smiled at his concern but didn't interrupt. "You have already agreed to combat Voldemort by teaching at Hogwarts and protecting Harry. It would be completely acceptable for you to refuse his offer."

"Indeed," added Dumbledore, looking at her serenely over his half-moon spectacles, but she could tell that he too was worried about her. "Should you choose to accept Voldemort's proposal, your life will be in grave danger. Voldemort does not look fondly upon those who betray him." Buffy's resolve faltered for a second, but she decided to stick with her decision.

"No, I'll do it," she answered, sitting up a little bit straighter in her chair and squaring her shoulders in an attempt to mask her nervousness. "I think I can handle it after all that I've faced." Her eyes flicked toward Angel, and he tensed but made no other move to show that he knew what she was referring to. If Dumbledore noticed the exchange, he made no indication.

"Very well," he said turning away from Buffy and toward Angel. "Does Voldemort wish to see her tonight?"

"Unfortunately, he does," replied Angel, glancing over at Buffy to see her reaction.

"_Tonight_?" she said, mouth dropping open in surprise. Giles placed a comforting hand on her arm but didn't say anything as Angel had already started to respond.

"I'm sorry, Buffy, but his goal was to get to you without Dumbledore knowing. If I was to come for you and not bring you back that same day, you might have had time to discuss your decision with the order. Not that any of that applies, of course..."

"No it's okay," interrupted Buffy gently so that Angel didn't have to explain any further. "I'll do it. I'm just worried about him going all mind reader on me and me not being ready. I can't really do it."

"You'll be fine," said Dumbledore with a reassuring smile. "You understand the concept and you managed to propel Severus from your mind. You just need to learn to control it. Block him just enough so that he cannot see into your mind but not enough to alert him to the fact that you are deceiving him."

"Right, just enough, got it," she said absently, turning once again toward Angel. "When do we have to... uh..."

"Our portkey," — he pulled out a polished, silver knife — "leaves at exactly eight o'clock." It was three to eight. "Buffy you don't have to-..."

"Yes, I do," she stated firmly, the Slayer in her coming out full force. "We need to get into Voldemort's inner circle and this is the only way." She looked toward Dumbledore. "I don't want Harry to know. He's already in enough danger without knowing that I'm double-agent gal."

"As you wish," he replied with a bow of his head.

"Giles..." Before she could finish her thought, Giles got out of his chair and pulled her into a hug. When he pulled away, he was blushing furiously, but kept eye contact and gave her a small nod. She gave him a small smile in return before accepting the hand that Angel had offered her.

"Ready?" he asked her, so close that she could feel his breath tickling her ear. She nodded, taking a deep breath before placing a finger on the knife. As soon as the clock ticked eight, she felt a pulling sensation at her navel and gave Giles one last reassuring smile before being whisked from the room. Moments later, she felt her feet slam into the ground, and Angel grabbed her hips to steady her. Looking around the room, she observed that she appeared to be standing in the middle of the front entrance hall; the walls were made from a polished dark wood, and hanging from the impossibly high ceiling was a crystal chandelier. The entire room gave off an air of wealth and elegance.

As he led her down the hall, she kept her eyes on the plush purple carpet covering the stone floor, not wanting to make eye contact with the sinister figures in the portraits that lined the walls. Once they reached an ornately carved wooden door, Angel gave her a nod that she returned shakily before hardening his features into those usually attributed to. At once, Buffy found herself staring into the cold, dark eyes of her former enemy. Repressing a shudder at the familiar smirk, she took a deep breath and nodded to show that she was ready. At her nod, Angel opened the door without knocking and led her into the room by gently placing his hand on her lower back.

Upon entering the room and squinting slightly at the lack of light, Buffy saw that a long table sat in the middle of the room, the room's usual furniture having been pushed aside to accommodate it; the only light came from a fire behind the person seated at the head of the table and the beautiful candelabras that were placed every couple feet along the table. All of the seats were filled except for the two on the right closest to the head of the table, and scanning the faces of those seated, Buffy felt her breath catch in her throat as she recognized Draco Malfoy. She also noticed Snape, but made no indication of seeing him, for fear that they would be exposed. Angel pushed her forward a bit harder, and she complied, walking over to the seat closest to the head of the table and sat down. Feeling Angel sit down beside her, she forced her features to stay calm as she took in Voldemort's features; he was hairless, had slits for nostrils, and red, cat-like eyes. His skin was so pale that it was nearly translucent, and he was absently stroking a large serpent with his long, slender fingers.

"Ah, Miss Summers," he greeted in a high pitched voice that was nothing like what Buffy had been expecting. "I am quite pleased that you could join us."

"The pleasure is all mine," she added, her voice much stronger than she felt. Sensing her nervousness, Angel discretely wrapped her hand in his under the table and gave it a small squeeze before speaking.

"My Lord," he started, and Buffy had to force herself not to wince at the cool tone that came out of his mouth. "She has willingly accepted your offer."

"Is that so?" Voldemort asked, and though he stayed perfectly still, Buffy could feel him trying to penetrate her mind with hers. _Yes_, she thought, concentrating as hard as she could to prevent him from dipping beneath the surface and discovering her real motives.

"Yes," she stated simply but continued when Angel squeezed her hand lightly. "My Lord," she added, bowing her head in a mock sign of respect. "Thank you for your generous offer. You will not be disappointed." She could sense all of the Death Eater's eyes on her, but she ignored them, concentrating instead on keeping her mental shield up. He continued to probe for a few more moments but seemed to be satisfied with what he saw, as he finally pulled away. _Aha!_, she thought, mentally congratulating herself for fooling him. However, she didn't have much time to revel in her accomplishment, as he had once again started speaking.

"Very well. Dumbledore has no idea that you have come to see me?" Buffy felt the mind probe again and closed her thoughts.

"No, he does not," she answered and a second later, felt the pressure lift.

"Good." Pause. "I trust you'll keep it that way." Buffy nodded. "We now have an advantage over the Order of the Phoenix." He addressed the rest of the Death Eaters but kept his eye on Buffy. "We now have a spy inside their operations as well as Hogwarts that they do not know about. Now, Miss Summers. I believe giving you a Dark Mark would be too... obvious for this situation. Instead, I will have either Severus or Angelus contact you." He turned toward Angel. "You are to make your presence known at the school as Angel. Dumbledore is not to know that you are in fact Angelus, is that clear?" Angel nodded. "That way, it will not be out of the ordinary for you to escort our newest addition off of school grounds."

"Yes, my Lord," Angel answered, nodding cooly.

"Excellent. That is all," said Voldemort with a note of finality to his voice. At once, the room with filled with the loud _crack_ of a dozen people disapparating, leaving only Voldemort, Buffy, Angel, Snape, Malfoy and two people who appeared to be his parents, and a beautiful woman with long, black hair. "Severus, Angelus, if you would escort Miss Summers back to Hogwarts?" He reached out a hand and ran his long, pale fingers down the side of her cheek. Buffy remained completely still, a passive smile plastered on her face, but she felt Angel tense next to her and out of the corner of her eye, saw the black-haired woman shift in her seat. "I will be seeing you very soon."

With a nod, Buffy stood up, effectively squelching her revulsion and walked over to Snape. Both Angel and Buffy grabbed onto one of his arms, Angel clearly more resistant than Buffy, and a moment later, they were standing in front of the gates to Hogwarts. In silence, he led them to Dumbledore's office and knocked, entering after hearing a "come in."

"Ah, Buffy, Severus, Angel," Dumbledore greeted without getting up from his desk. Buffy glanced around and noticed that Giles hadn't moved from his spot since she had left. "Everything went well?"

"As well as playing double agent for a dark lord can go," answered Buffy, plopping into one of the chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk and motioning for Giles to do the same. Angel and Snape remained standing, glowering at each other. "He touched me," she added, with a slight whine tinging her voice and a shudder.

"Voldemort gave her a very high ranking position," started Snape, ignoring Buffy's comment. "She would have been a great asset to him if you and the Order were not to know."

"We can't tell the Order," said Buffy suddenly, looking up at Dumbledore. They all turned to look at her. "They're already in enough danger without adding knowing about me being a double agent to their list. Plus, if Voldemort gets... a hold of one of them, I don't want him to find out that you know."

"As you wish," replied Dumbledore with a nod. "I too believe that that is a good idea."

"Oh, and Voldemort wants Angel to get acquainted with the school 'cause he thinks that it won't be so obvious if he comes and whisks me off to a meeting. Can he...?" she trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Luckily for her, Dumbledore seemed to know what she was asking.

"Of course he may stay here. I will have the castle arrange for another suite to be constructed close to yours."

"Alright, thanks," she said, smiling gratefully at the Headmaster. "Well, it's kinda been a long day, so I'm going to turn in if you don't need me...?"

"Oh, of course," said Giles, speaking up for the first time. "It has been a long day, hasn't it. First day of classes and then a meeting with Voldemort... Why don't you head to bed. We'll iron out the rest of the details." Both Dumbledore and Angel nodded their agreement.

"Thanks guys," she said, yawning slightly. "Night." Retreating from the office to a chorus of "Goodnight, Buffy"s, she closed the door and leaned back against it with a sigh. Now that Angel was back in her life and she was a double agent for Voldemort, she could only pray and hope that she was up to the challenge.

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Sorry about the short chapter. For some reason, my muse is hating this story right now and it took me a long time to come out with this chapter. Ugh! Anyhoo, drop me a review on your way out! Hope you enjoyed!


	13. Angelus

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! The idea for the portrait [you'll see! is credited to Allen Pitt. Thanks for that! A few lines taken from the BtVS episode "Angel."

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Thanks to PrInCeSsFBi, xXxIzzyxXx, MadBrilliant1880 (Don't worry, it definitely won't be Bangel!), enchantedlight, and the person who PMd me (I forget who this was, I accidentally deleted the email, and I don't know if I can find it on the site... Was it Anne79?) for your wonderful reviews! I'm glad you're all liking it so far and are sticking with it even though I'm in a small rut.

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"Buffy and I have a very special treat for you this morning," started Lupin from his position at his desk in front of the students, stacking the rolls of parchment that they had turned in earlier that period. Buffy was at the top of the staircase leading to their shared office, leaning against the stone barrier and smiling down at the class. "Although this might come as quite a shock to some of you, I assure you that you are in no danger. Now, without any further ado..." he trailed off, and Buffy took this as her cue to introduce their special guest.

"An extremely good friend of mine. I'm sure you've read a lot about him, but he's here to give you the inside scoop on what those dusty old books in the library aren't able to tell you." She twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door with a flourish, leading to a few gasps from the students. Clearly only a small handful of students did enough research to recognize him at first sight. "Are you sure you're up to this?" she asked quietly as Angel passed her on the stairs, having second thoughts about making him talk about his time as Angelus. He nodded, giving her a soft smile, amused at her concern for him.

"Is that..." Hermione started, pointing a shaking finger toward Angel as he and Buffy reached the bottom of the stairs; he perched on the edge of Lupin's desk while Buffy settled herself down on the bottom two stairs. "I mean, that can't possibly be..."

"Yep, Angelus in the flesh," said Buffy, and a large amount of gasps resonated around the room, the students finally realizing who was standing in front of them. "Though he does have a soul now, so I'd appreciate it if you were to call him Angel." None of the students said anything. "So, he's here to answer any questions you have. So... shoot." Nothing, the kids were still to frightened to say anything and were just sitting there, staring at him. "C'mon, you really think Professor Lupin and I would bring in anything dangerous for show and tell? He's perfectly harmless." Angel looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she grinned, mouthing a quick "sorry" and watching a few hands raise hesitantly into the air. She pointed to a handsome black boy in the second row. "Mr. Thomas?"

"If you are... um..." — the boy paused, and Buffy gave him an encouraging smile to which he blushed a bright red — "Angel, would you... you know, transform?" Angel nodded, and Dean looked relieved that he was out of the spotlight, only to jump when Angel morphed into his vampire visage. The room was once again filled with gasps, and Angel quickly changed back, the bumpy ridges and fangs disappearing, only to be replaced by the handsome features that Buffy was used to. "Um... Thank you," Dean said, looking quickly from Buffy to Angel and back again.

"Next?" Buffy prompted gently, and a few hands raised into the air. "Miss Bones?"

"What does it feel like... becoming a vampire?" a small brunette in the third row asked, gazing at Angel, clearly at awe over his gorgeous features.

"At first you're confused," said Angel quietly, and Buffy looked at him in concern, wondering if he could handle talking about his transformation. "When you first wake up. You don't know what's happening. It's not cold or warm, how you would have expected it to be if you had truly died. You feel something surging inside of you. The need to hunt, to kill, to destroy anything pure or innocent in the world. Not many vampires learn to control this urge." Buffy continued to gaze over at him, never having had him describe this to her. But she quickly recovered, calling on a beautiful Indian girl in the second row.

"How did you learn to control it?" asked Padma Patil, looking at him much as Susan Bones had, and Buffy smiled, knowing the felling all too well.

"For decades, I couldn't," he said, a remorseful tone in his voice, and Buffy moved to sit next to him, placing a hand on his forearm for comfort. He gave her a small smile. "For generations, my Sire and I terrorized various towns and villages, murdering and torturing anyone who crossed our path." He paused, looking over at Buffy. "But almost a century ago, I was cursed with a soul by a clan of Gypsies. Only then did I learn to control my vampiric instincts."

"What was it like being part of the Scourge of Europe?" a silky voice asked, and Buffy looked up to see that it had been Draco Malfoy that had asked the question. She sighed inwardly, wondering what he was up to. There was always a hidden agenda with this kid.

"At the time, it was all that I needed in life. A beautiful Sire and a blood-thirsty childe and grand-childe. We spent generations destroying towns in Europe and Asia and feasting on its inhabitants. I regarded killing as an art, and did it simply for enjoyment. We did things that you wouldn't even be able to imagine." Buffy looked down, briefly remembering her encounter with Angelus a couple of years ago.

"And now?" asked Draco, seemingly genuinely interested in Angel's response.

"When you become a vampire, the demon takes your body. But it doesn't get your soul. That's gone. No conscience, no remorse...it's an easy way to live. You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done, and to care," Angel looked down at Buffy, and she felt her heart constrict; he had said these exact words to her when he had told her that he was a vampire.

"What did you do..." said Hermione once Buffy had pointed at her, "once you got your soul?"

"After I failed to reunite with my sire, she would not have me now that I had a soul, I chose to live in isolation, controlling the temptation to feed on humans by avoiding them all together," he answered simply, not going into his history with Buffy, for which she was grateful for.

"Alright, last question," she said, smiling at the class and they groaned, interested in having the real Angelus there to answer their questions. "If you're all real good, maybe Angel can come back?" They piped down immediately, and Buffy smiled. "Right then, Harry?"

"How do you two know each other?" he asked, and the class sat up a bit straighter, obviously having wondered this as well. Buffy and Angel looked at each other, knowing they couldn't tell the truth for fear of exposing her as the Slayer.

"Buffy and I..." Angel started but trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

"We used to work together," Buffy jumped in, saving Angel from having to stutter out a response.

"You worked together?" asked Draco, clearly suspicious. "How is that even possible when he's a vampire?" Buffy started to make something up, but before she could open her mouth, Lupin, who had been incredibly quiet throughout the whole thing, interrupted.

"That's the end of class, you'd all better run along before you're late for class," he said, and with a groan, the kids packed up their stuff and exiting the room. Glancing over at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, she knew that they didn't believe her, and she promised herself that she would tell them the full story. They had helped her so much over the past few months and they already knew she was the Slayer. What harm could it do?

"Thanks," she whispered to Lupin, and Angel gave one of his small nods, both grateful that he had cut off the explanation.

"Ah, no matter," he answered with a smile and a wave in their direction. "Knew you didn't want to go into your secret." He then bustled off to his office to get ready for their next class, and Buffy helped, wanting to put some space between her and her former lover. The rest of the DADA classes went rather smoothly, Buffy bringing in Angel because she and Lupin had been discussing vampires in each class, trying to prepare the kids for the war against Voldemort. After a quick lunch in the Great Hall, Buffy, Giles, and Angel headed up to the Wandless Defense classroom, where Angel would also be assisting. Upon entering the room, the students made their way to the locker room, changing out of their robes, before seating themselves on the floor in front of the three instructors.

"Alright, kiddies," said Buffy from her place in front of the forty or so students in her seventh year Wandless Defense class. They were all gathered around her in a semi-circle, this time more appropriately dressed in sweat pants and t-shirts. "Giles and I have a special surprise for you today. As you can see, we've got someone here for show and tell." She wave a hand toward Angel, and a few of the girls giggled and whispered among themselves; a few of the houses had already met him in a previous DADA class when she brought him in to answer questions. Buffy smiled in amusement, but ignored them, continuing on with her introduction. "As most of you already know, this is Angel. He'll be helping me with my demonstration for today." She looked to Giles to continue with this explanation while she and Angel backed further away from the kids so that they wouldn't harm any of them.

"Today we will be demonstrating simple blocking." Buffy tied up her hair into a messy ponytail and cracked her neck, smiling at Angel. "For the moment, Buffy will be on the defensive while Angel will be attacking her. Pay particular attention to the moves that Buffy-..." She didn't hear the rest of Giles' speech. She and Angel were standing about ten feet away from each other, each tensed in anticipation of what was to come. She felt the whole world slip away, as it always did when she was fighting, or was even in the same vicinity, of her former lover. The two stood motionless for a few more minutes, each not daring to remove his or her eyes from the other, before Angel lunged suddenly, getting ready to punch Buffy in the face.

Knowing that it was coming, she ducked quickly, spinning around and blocking his next punch with her left arm. She felt herself being backed up against the wall with the force of his attacks, but held her ground, leaping over a kick that was aimed at her stomach and spinning herself around just in time to block a spinning kick to her face. She was so lost in the fight that she didn't hear the gasps of the students whenever Angel attacked or Giles' explanations for the moves they were performing. She somersaulted under another high kick and then flipped herself off of the ground, only to be caught in the jaw by a swift punch. Falling to the ground, she found herself pinned as Angel straddled her thighs and held her arms above her head.

Sweating slightly and panting at their close proximity, she felt the Slayer in her beg for release. Abandoning her defensive technique, she pushed her legs off of the ground, using the momentum to send Angel flying over her. Flipping to her feet, she lunged at him, forcing him to back up in order to avoid the flurry of punches and kicks. Catching a poorly executed roundhouse kick, he grabbed her ankle, slamming her into the ground and knocking the wind out of her. Recovering quickly and not wanting to loose the fight, Buffy brought her leg up from her position on the floor, knocking his legs out from under him and sending him crashing into the mat. Quickly untangling her limbs from his, she jumped up, straddling his waist and pressing her arm against his throat, causing him to grin up at her and raise his hands in a gesture of surrender. Panting slightly, she pushed herself to her feet before pulling Angel up, mock-courtesying to the loud applause of the students.

"Alrighty then," she started, easily catching a water bottle that Giles had tossed at her. "See how blocking his attacks helped me to find an opening where I could beat him? Of course I don't suggest waiting 'til you're pinned to start attacking... but yeah, you know what I mean. Blocking equals good. Any questions?" No one answered, so she continued. "Yeah, so... Why don't you all break up into pairs and practice a few basic punches and blocks. Giles, Angel, and I'll come around to help."

There was a loud shuffling as the kids stood up and moved around the room to find their ideal partners. Buffy frowned as she noticed that each house seemed to stick to their own, but she sighed, knowing that she wouldn't really be able to change it. Pulling the ponytail holder out of her hair, she shook it out before giving Angel an encouraging smile and starting around the room. Her first stop was Harry and Ron; Ron was currently sitting on the floor after receiving a punch to the jaw.

"Ron, are you alright?" Buffy asked, holding out a hand which he graciously accepted. "Didn't block in time, huh?" He shook his head. "'Kay, look." She dropped into a defensive stance and motioned for Ron to hit her and for Harry to watch. Ron threw a soft punch, not wanting to hurt her even though he knew that she could take whatever he gave her, and she blocked it easily, letting her arm push his away from her. "Gotta move the second you see that he's starting to attack. Are you alright?" Ron nodded, and she smiled, sending Harry a playful wink before moving on.

"Buffy, I can't do this," said Hermione as soon as Buffy walked up to her. She was paired with Lavender Brown, and both girls were sweating and panting slightly. Lavender nodded. "I'm a book girl, I don't fight."

"Hey, now, don't think like that," Buffy told her, smiling encouragingly. "Remember how you told me that I'd be awesome at magic? Well, same goes for you. You're a bad-ass witch, you can block a couple of punches. Now come here." She motioned for Hermione to stand in front of her. "Alright, so I'm gonna throw a punch, try and block it, alright?" She pushed her fist out, obviously slower and less accurately than she had done for Angel, and Hermione blocked it, smiling, clearly excited that she had done it. "Good! See! Now c'mon, Lavender, your turn." She threw another punch, and Lavender blocked it perfectly. "Nice. See, you guys can totally do it. Just keep trying!"

She headed off to help people, only having to break apart one pair, Crabbe and Goyle, in fear that they would seriously hurt each other. When class finally ended, she waved the students off to dinner before collapsing onto one of the room's blue mats and closing her eyes. When she opened her eyes, Giles and Angel were both looking down at her with amused smiles, and she got up, wanting to change before heading down to dinner.

"Walk me up, Angel?" she asked since Angel had to change as well, but Giles was wearing a suit as always. He nodded, and bidding Giles goodbye, the two headed toward their room so that they could clean up before eating. "How're you doing with all of this." At his blank look, she hastened to explain. "The whole double agent thing for Voldemort."

"It's fine," he answered, but she could see the underlying emotion in his words. "I've done it before." They lapsed into a comfortable silence, and upon reaching Angel's portrait, Buffy found herself facing a familiar figure.

"Oh. My. God. Is that...?" She asked, mouth hanging open slightly in shock. She turned to look

at Angel, who looked slightly annoyed and more broody than usual.

"Why, hello, Miss Buffy. Are you having a pleasant evening?"

"I... uh... Yeah, I'm doing great. How are you... Spike?"

"It's William, Miss Buffy. I have no idea what that... vampire is doing with my body," he said, a slight twinge of disdain evident in his voice at the mention of Spike, and Buffy continued to stare at him with her eyes wide. He was dressed in a tan suit with an orange tie, his hair was a curly mop of brown, and he was wearing glasses; hardly the Spike that she was used to.

"How... is... what?" she stuttered, looking between Angel and the portrait of William, wondering how this was possible.

"Apparently the castle thought it would be funny to put up a portrait of Spike as the entrance to my suite," Angel muttered, glaring slightly at the portrait, and Buffy smiled, slightly amused at his bitterness.

"I attended Hogwarts as part of Hufflepuff, Miss Buffy. In the eighteen-seventies. Because I was..." — he paused — "murdered, it is now possible for my portrait to come alive," he said as way of explanation, and Buffy smiled a bit more at his formal speech.

"Well... William... Angel and I have to get ready for dinner now, but it was very nice meeting you," she said, nodding her head slightly. "The real you, that is." She gave Angel a small grin and headed off down the hall to her suite. "Hey, Charles," she greeted the knight in the painting once she reached the door to her rooms. "Slayer."

"Of course, Miss Buffy! Have a good night!" Stepping into her room, she made her way to the bathroom to take a quick shower before slipping into a pair of her favorite, most comfortable jeans, a white tank top, and a pair of flip-flops. Not bothering to dry her hair, she brushed it out quickly, leaving it down so that it would dry on her own. Grabbing her wand, she tucked it into the waistband of her jeans and opened the door to the seating area, only to see Angel there waiting for her. He was sitting on one of the couches, dressed in black pants and a black sweater which contrasted nicely with his pale skin.

"Oh, hey," Buffy said when she saw him, and he stood to meet her. "Sorry, didn't know you were here, would have been quicker."

"No problem," he said with a soft smile, gesturing for her to move toward the portrait hole. She took his lead and walked over, stepping out and into the hallway, turning right so that they could make their way to the Great Hall.

"Did you know Spike when he was... like that?" she asked, waiting so that he could catch up with her.

"Not really," he said with a small shake of his head. "He was never as... ruthless as I was, but I never knew him when he was such a..." He trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"A mini-Giles?" she supplied helpfully, and he smiled her description.

"Exactly," he responded, following her down the staircases to the Entrance Hall. Reaching the doors to the Great Hall, Angel opened the door for her, stopping so that she could enter before him. She smiled at him and walked over to the staff table, ignoring the jealous stares the students were giving her and Angel. Pretty much all of the girls had developed crushes on him after they realized that he was good, and Buffy had captured the hearts of most of the male population the first time she walked into the room.

"Hey Lupin, Giles," Buffy greeted with a smile, letting Angel hold out a chair for her. "How're you guys doing?" She grabbed a roll off of the table and bit into it, content as its rich, buttery taste filled her mouth.

"Very well," answered Lupin, sending her a warm smile from his place next to Giles and grabbing a piece of chicken. He gave Angel a look and Buffy rolled her eyes at his protectiveness. He seemed to have the same mentality as Giles; that her and Angel were bound to get back together.

"As am I," Giles answered in his stuffy British way. He leaned closer to Buffy, not wanting Lupin, who was occupied with his chicken leg, to hear what he was about to say. "Any news from Voldemort?" Buffy shook her head, but mentally conveyed that he would be the first to know if anything came up. She glanced over at Lupin, feeling slightly guilty for not letting him in on her secret, he had become like a brother to her after all, but knew that she didn't want to put him in any more danger. They all spent the rest of dinner engaged in pleasant conversation, and after she was finished, she walked over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, wanting to catch them before they left the Great Hall.

"Hey, guys," she greeted, straddling the bench next to Harry and helping herself to a cookie.

"Hey, Buffy," they chorused and Buffy gave them a smile.

"Wanna come up and hang out with me? I really don't want to get started on those essays yet." She made a face, and Hermione giggled. "But I know you guys have homework to do, so I won't be _that_ offended if you decide not to." When the agreed, she smiled, grabbing an untouched apple pie and a couple of forks from the table and standing up. "Slayer metabolism," she explained at their confused looks. They all got up and headed toward the doors, Buffy sending Angel and Giles a small wave before exiting. Together, they made their way to Buffy's suite, laughing and talking all the way. "Hey, Charles! Slayer."

"Right you are, Miss Buffy. Go on in." The portrait swung open to reveal her suite and the four stepped in, Harry, Ron, and Hermione gasping at the sight.

"Wow..." Ron trailed off, taking in all the space that she had.

"Perks of being a teacher at a fancy British boarding school," Buffy said, smiling at them and gesturing for them to take a seat on the couches in the sitting room. "So, whats on your mind? You three're being all quiet. It's sort of wigging me out." There was a short pause before Harry answered.

"How do you really know Angel?"

"I... uh... We sort of dated," she answered, knowing that they would find out eventually and wanting to be the one that told them.

"Sort of? What do you mean sort of?" asked Hermione with a raised eyebrow, knowing that there was something more to the story. Harry and Ron, however, didn't seem to notice this little detail and were concentrating on the more important point.

"You dated a vampire?" asked Ron, clearly confused about how a Vampire Slayer could date a Vampire. "You knew he was a vampire, right?" Hermione gave him a look at his lack of tact, which he either didn't see or chose to ignore.

"Of course I knew," Buffy answered, giving him a withering look. "Angel and I... it started out with us just working together... With all the slayage, and him being useful when I had to go kick the crap out of stuff... But after a while we just... we fell in love."

"Why are you not currently together?" asked Hermione curiously, and Buffy could tell that she was pressing for more details. Ron and Harry were both looking at her expectantly.

"We... Well, you're going to find out sooner or later. When I was seventeen, Angel and I... we... made love." — she felt Harry shift next to her but ignored it — "As it turns out, there was a loophole with the curse. If he was to experience one moment of pure happiness, he... he would loose his soul." Buffy stopped for a second, feeling a flood of memories rushing back to her and suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable that Harry and Ron were there. Hermione put her hand on Buffy's shoulder in a gesture of comfort, and Buffy continued, wanting them to know the whole truth. "Angel... he... Well, to make a long story short, he went back to Spike and Drusilla, and they plotted to destroy the world. Big surprise, right? He wasn't the Angel that I had fallen in love with; he killed someone close to me and tortured me and my friends for months. At the end of all this, it was just me and him left. Me trying to close the portal to hell that he had created and him trying to... kill me so that he could end the world. We fought and I... I killed him and sent him to hell." She felt the tears starting to stream down her face but brushed them away quickly, not wanting to show weakness in front of the trio.

"Oh, Buffy..." started Hermione, at a loss for words, her own eyes filling with tears at the internal battle her friend was struggling with, while Harry and Ron sat silently, not saying a word, but clearly both were affected by what she had been through.

"But it wasn't him... Angel... Willow... she had... restored his soul. It wasn't Angelus that I killed, it was Angel." Buffy whispered, letting herself relive the emotions that she had felt slightly over a year ago. "But he came back. By some miracle. The Powers That Be said that they weren't done with him yet. He said that he had been there for hundreds of years. Of torture."

"Blimey," said Ron at her pause, not knowing what else to say. Harry nodded his agreement.

"We tried dating again, but... It had been too much. We couldn't make it work. He left me at the end of last year. Said that he wanted me to be able to be with someone normal. Clearly that didn't work out," she said and gave a small laugh, bringing up a shaky hand to brush away her tears. "I teach at a _wizarding_ school for god's sake."

"Do you still love him?" asked a soft voice, and Buffy looked up to see that it was Harry who had asked the question. She looked straight into his eyes and inwardly gasped at the amount of emotion that was swimming behind the bright green.

"I... I'll always love Angel. He was my first love, and in some way, we'll always be attached to each other. But I'm not in love with him anymore. We both know that it wouldn't have worked out, and we've moved on." Harry seemed pleased with this answer, giving her a small smile that she returned.

"A Slayer dating a vampire," mused Hermione, and they both turned to look at her. "It is rather poetic, is it not?"

"Giles said that exact same thing to me a while back," Buffy smiled, remembering this conversation with her Watcher. Having put all the heavy stuff behind them, the four talked for a while about light-hearted things, finishing the apple pie before Buffy looked at the clock and noticed that it was already eight o'clock. "Crap? Is it really eight? You guys better get back to your dorm so that you can finish all of that fun work you have assigned." The trio bid her goodbye and headed off to Gryffindor tower, leaving Buffy to get ready for patrol. She pulled on a sweatshirt and grabbed a few stakes and a dagger and headed out of the portrait, making her way down to the forbidden forest.

She patrolled for about half an hour, not coming across anything unusual, until she stumbled upon a group of cloaked figures in a small clearing in the middle of the forest. She crouched and moved toward the group, hiding herself behind a tree to avoid being discovered. Leaning forward, she strained to hear what they were saying.

"This Slayer," said a deep voice, but Buffy couldn't make out the face of the speaker from beneath his hood. "Keep an eye on her. While the Dark Lord may trust her, many of us do not. Just because she is the Slayer does not mean that she will not betray us to Dumbledore."

"Yes, sir," answered another voice, and Buffy had to bite back a gasp after realizing that it belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Are you sure it's wise to doubt the Dark Lord's decisions, Avery?" said another voice that Buffy immediately recognized as Snape's. "I doubt he would be pleased with you if he were to find out."

"How would he find out, _Severus_, unless you were to be the one that would tell him," snarled the Death Eater who had first spoke. "We all know that-..." However, he was cut off by another voice.

"There is someone here," said a raspy voice, and Buffy could see that he was sniffing the air. "It's the girl." There was a shuffle as the Death Eaters took in the news and broke apart to find her. Knowing that she had been found out, Buffy stepped into the clearing, pocketing the dagger that she had been clutching.

"Hey boys," she greeted, mock-cheerfully, and they all turned to look at her. "What're you all doing out here? Throwing a wild party?"

"Miss Summers," one of them greeted, and they all gave slight bows of their heads. Buffy cocked an eyebrow, but figured that she was a higher rank than them now that she was Voldemort's secret weapon. "What a pleasant surprise seeing you here tonight."

"Yeah, I'm sure," she said sarcastically under her breath. "You didn't answer my question," she continued, pulling rank on them, knowing that they had to obey her if they didn't want to be punished by Voldemort. "What are you doing here."

"We are here to have a talk with Severus and young Draco," another Death Eater responded, and Buffy fixed her gaze on the young Slytherin.

"Draco, huh? You a Death Eater now?"

"I-..." he started, but was promptly interrupted.

"Draco has decided to take the place of his father since the Potter boy sent him to Azkaban two years ago and must stay out of the public eye as Voldemort freed him a few weeks ago," answered Snape and Buffy nodded.

"Ah, right. What about?" she answered, turning away from Snape and back toward the other Death Eaters.

"I beg your pardon, Miss?" one answered and she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"What were you talking about?" she asked, not wanting them to know that she had overheard them earlier.

"We were informing them that The Dark Lord would like them to keep an eye on Dumbledore," he answered, and Buffy nodded, not believing a word of it.

"I see. Well, now that you have played messenger, I think it's time for Mr. Malfoy to head back to the castle. It's almost nine, and we wouldn't want anyone to suspect that something's up, would we?" The Death Eater nodded and hurried to agree with her.

"Of course, Miss."

"Great! So why don't you boys all head on home and get a good night's sleep, and Severus and I will lead him back. Please tell Voldemort that he can call on me whenever he needs me." With a final nod, she gestured for Draco to follow her, which he did, and led him and Snape out of the forest, up the lawn, and into the castle. "Alright, Draco," she said once they had reached the entrance hall. "Go on up to your dorm, 'kay?" Instead of arguing with her like she had expected, he simply nodded and bade them goodnight before heading down to the dungeons. Giving Snape a look, they both headed off to the Headmaster's office to relay the information that they had just collected.

"Hey," Buffy greeted as she and Snape walked through the doors of Dumbledore's office, and he motioned for them to take a seat. "We come with news." At a wave for her to go on, Buffy continued. "That Draco kid is a Death Eater. I knew he was up to something!"

"Not a Death Eater, per say," added Snape. "But he is taking orders from Voldemort."

"I see..." said Dumbledore, twisting his long, slender fingers through his beard. "And what does Voldemort wish for him to do?"

"Well, not Voldemort exactly, but some of the Death Eaters want him and Snapey here" — Snape shot her a glare — "to keep an eye on me. They don't trust me, and think that Voldey is stupid to."

"They held the meeting in the Forbidden Forest," said Snape, wanting to move on before Buffy started to rant. "I believe it would be in our best interest to place a perimeter around Hogwarts in order to alert us when someone other than a teacher or a student enters school grounds."

"Agreed," Buffy piped in. "What if they want to try and grab Harry or something? We gotta make sure something like that doesn't happen. I won't let it. It's my job to protect him."

"Excellent idea, Severus, I will get right on that in the morning. Now, if that is all, I'm sure that you two would like to enjoy the rest of your evening." Understanding his subtle dismissal, both Buffy and Snape stood up and bade the Headmaster good night before exiting the office, each heading off in different directions; Snape to the dungeons to do whatever he did at night and Buffy to Giles to tell him what was up before heading to her room to start grading the massive pile of essays that she had accumulated from her various Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.

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Well that's the end of this chapter. I know Ron's not in it that much atm, but I haven't really found a huge role for him yet. I know it's kinda slow right now, but I gotta lead up to the ass kicking that Buffy's going to do some how! Hope you guys enjoyed it anyways! Drop me a review on your way out!


	14. Friends and Enemies

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! Part of the dialogue and plot from this chapter is taken from BtVS season 4 episode "The Harsh Light of Day." Transcript from twiztv. For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Thanks for enchantedlight, PrInCeSsFBi, and xXxIzzyxXx for your reviews! Glad you're all enjoying it, and I hope you keep reading!

AN: The gang are going to have cell phones even though they didn't in the show. It's too much trouble for me to have them running around trying to find pay phones and such.

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The rest of the month of September had passed quickly, Buffy having settled into a routine that she was comfortable with and learning even more about the wizarding world. She had gotten to know most of the students fairly well and still remained the subject of most of the male students' fantasies. Her classes were going well, and her and Lupin were as close as ever despite her not telling him about working for Voldemort. Speaking of Voldemort, she hadn't had any contact with him since that first night at Malfoy's mansion and didn't have anything big to do for the Order either, so spent most of her time not spent teaching with the Gryffindor trio.

"Hey, Giles," Buffy greeted, plopping down in the seat next to Giles. The seat on her other side was empty, as Angel had been called on a mission by Voldemort. Buffy knew that it was only a matter of time until she would be called as well.

"Ah, Buffy," he greeted, sending her a small smile, already half way through a pork chop. "How was your day?"

"Same old, same old," replied Buffy, inhaling a piece of steak and a roll before turning to Giles with a small pout and her famous puppy-dog eyes. "Giles?" she asked, purposely whining slightly for added effect. Giles turned to look at her but quickly turned away, knowing that he would cave into whatever she wanted if she kept looking at him like that.

"Yes?" he asked, dreading what was coming next.

"Can we go home?"

"No, you may no-... what?" he asked, finally breaking out of his haze and realizing what she was asking.

"Home," she repeated, smiling slightly at him. "I miss my Mom. And Willow. And Xander. And... please?" The eyes and pout were back, but this time Giles smiled affectionately at his Slayer. He knew what she was feeling. As much as the Scoobies had gotten on his nerves, he thought of them as family and, though he would never admit it, he missed them and wanted to see them as well.

"Of course," he answered, setting down his knife and fork and giving Buffy his undivided attention. "When would you like to go?"

"I was thinking about tonight?" Buffy asked sheepishly, knowing that it was late notice. "I've got most of my essays graded and we'll be back by class on Monday..."

"That sounds perfect," answered Giles, knowing that she must be extremely happy to see her friends after so long. "When would you like to leave? After dinner? That would make it ten a.m. there." At Buffy's nod, they finished their dinner quickly before standing up and heading out of the hall. Buffy looked for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but they were nowhere to be found, and she shrugged, figuring that she could talk to them when she got back from Sunnydale.

Bidding Giles a quick goodbye and agreeing to meet him in the Headmaster's office in twenty minutes, Buffy entered her suite after telling Sir Charles the password and quickly made her way to her bedroom to pack. Grabbing a small duffel bag, she tossed in a few items of clothing before heading into the bathroom to grab her toothbrush. Finally, after grabbing a few weapons, including a few stakes, knives, and the sword she fought Angelus with, she changed into a long, flowing black skirt and a white tank top before stashing a few weapons and her wand under her clothes and heading out of the portrait hall and toward Dumbledore's office. Knocking and entering once she reached the door, Buffy saw that she was the first to arrive and sat down in a chair in front of the Headmaster's desk to explain the situation, dropping her duffel bag at her feet.

"Good evening, Buffy," greeted Dumbledore with a small nod of his head. "What brings you to my office?"

"Giles and I were wondering if we could have the weekend off to visit home," answered Buffy as the Headmaster peered over his half-moon spectacles at her. "It's been a while and we're both kinda homesick."

"I see," he replied, arching his fingers together and continuing. "I believe that can be arranged." Buffy nodded.

"If that's okay...?" Just then, Giles entered, carrying a small leather bag slung over his shoulder. Flashing Buffy a small smile, he gave Dumbledore a nod before sitting down in the chair next to his Slayer.

"Of course it's alright." He gave her a smile. "I assume you'll be wanting to leave as soon as possible to account for the time difference?" Buffy nodded. "I will show you how to create a portkey for the travel back and for future reference." He gestured for Buffy to stand next to him, and she got up, making he away around the desk. "Now, simply concentrate on the desired destination and use the incantation of _portus_."

"Thanks," she muttered, taking the glass paperweight that Dumbledore had handed her and pulled her wand from the waistband of her skirt. "Okay." Concentrating on her home address, she muttered "_portus_," and turned to the Headmaster excitedly when it proceeded to glow and shudder slightly before returning to its original state. "Did it work?"

"Indeed it did," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye. "Now when you are ready to come back to Hogwarts, just perform that spell to create a portkey." At Buffy's nod, Giles stood, grabbing his bag, as well as Buffy's, and moving to stand next to her.

"Thank you, Albus," he said, sending the Headmaster a quick nod. "We will see you on Sunday."

"Bye!" Buffy called, as she and Giles both reached to touch the paperweight, which immediately activated and dumped them unceremoniously in the center of the Summer's living room.

"Buffy!" the Slayer heard someone call, and looked up to see her mother hurrying into the room. "Oh, Buffy!"

"Hi, Mom," she replied, pushing herself off of the floor and offering Giles a hand up before rushing to hug her mom. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart," Joyce replied, tearing up at seeing her daughter for the first time in months. "Are you alright?" She pulled back and held Buffy at arms length, checking her for any visible injuries.

"Yeah, I'm good," replied Buffy, stepping back and grinning.

"Hello, Joyce," greeted Giles, offering her a small smile.

"Rupert!" Joyce answered, leaning forward to give him a hug. He stiffened a bit at first, but relaxed slightly and awkwardly pat her bat a few times before pulling back. "Thank you so much for taking care of Buffy."

"Ah, don't mention it," he said and smiled at Buffy who was smiling right back. "Well, I'll leave you two to catch up. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to settle in at my flat and find Wesley to discuss the any recent demonic activity."

"'kay, Giles," Buffy said, rolling her eyes playfully at her Watcher. "Don't strain anything." He sent her a withering glare in response before smiling at Joyce and heading out the door. "So, Mom, you have to work today?"

"I do," Joyce said but frowned, clearly wanting to spend the day with her daughter. "If you had let me know earlier, I would have tried to take the day off..."

"That's alright," Buffy gently interrupted. "We can do the mother-daughter bonding thing later this weekend. I'm here 'til Sunday. Well, unless something happens.."

"Perfect," said Joyce, giving her daughter a smile before heading to the kitchen to grab her purse and keys, Buffy following her. "Why don't you visit Willow and Xander, honey?"

"Sounds great!" responded Buffy, perking up immediately, excited about the prospect of seeing her two best friends. "Hey, where's Faith?"

"I don't know," said Joyce, frowning slightly, clearly concerned. "She sometimes disappears for a couple of days at a time. I haven't asked her about it. I assumed it was Slayer stuff."

"Yeah, probably..." Buffy trailed off, thinking about this. "Oh well, I'm sure she's fine. Faith can take care of herself. Alright. Bye, Mom! Have fun at work!"

"Aright, sweetie, see you soon." With one last hug, Joyce exited the kitchen and a few minutes later, Buffy heard the car pull out of the driveway. Grabbing her her duffel bag still sitting on the living room floor, she headed up the stairs, smiling when she saw that her room was exactly like the way she left it. Dropping her bag onto her bed, she wandered down the hall, peeking into the spare room and noticing that it looked more homey now that Faith had moved in; the were clothes and weapons scattered around the room, and the bed was unmade. Making her way back to her room, she dumped her bag off of her bed and onto the floor before curling up on the bed for a quick nap to stall the jet lag.

Buffy slept longer than she had expected, waking up as the sun began to turn the sky a light pink. After shedding her skirt, white tank top, and flip-flops in favor of a pair of black leather pants, a blood red halter top, and her favorite pair of boots, she dug out her cell phone, keys and wallet out of her duffel bag, placing them in a small purse from her room before exiting her room and making her way downstairs.

"Hey, honey," Joyce greeted as soon as Buffy set foot in the kitchen. "Have a nice nap?"

"Yep," Buffy nodded, smiling at her mom. "Guess I was really jet lagged or something. Good day at work?"

"As good as it could be," Joyce answered before digging into a drawer and pulling out a few take-out menus. "What do you feel like today?"

"Hmm..." Buffy thought, her eyes scanning the menus that her mom was holding. "Pizza," she decided with a smile. Three hours, an entire large pizza and order of cinnasticks, and a movie later, Buffy and Joyce were curled up on the couch, dabbing at their eyes with tissues after having finished _The Notebook_.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed," said Joyce, getting up from the couch and bring their plates into the kitchen so that she could wash them. "You going to see Willow and Xander tonight?"

"Yeah, I should do that," Buffy said, following her mom into the kitchen carrying the empty pizza box. "I haven't told them I'm back yet." Grabbing her bag, she kissed her mom goodbye before leaving the house and heading toward Xander's. Arriving at his house, Buffy knocked, smiling when a middle-aged woman answered the door.

"Hi, Mrs. Harris," she said.

"Buffy!" she answered, reaching out to give the Slayer a hug. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm doing good," Buffy answered, making polite conversation. "Is Xander here?"

"Of course! Come on in!" She opened the door a bit wider to let Buffy in, leading her down the small hallway toward a door. "He's moved into the basement."

"Alright, thanks, Mrs. Harris," Buffy said, turning the nob and smiling at Xander's mom before making her way down the stairs. Spotting her friend fiddling with something on his desk, she snuck up behind him, throwing her hands over his eyes and smiling at his jump.

"Guess who?" she said, and he spun around with a shock look on his face.

"Buffy!" He picked her up by the waist and spun her around, making her giggle and squeal before setting her back on the ground and ushering her onto a leather couch in the corner. "So how goes it in 'jolly ol' England?'" he asked, adopting a horrible British accent, but Buffy laughed all the same.

"It's good, nothing major's been happening. What's been up with you guys?"

"Nothing much," Xander replied, tilting his head to the side slightly in an adorably curious gesture. "You know. Monsters. Vampires. Demons. Same as always." Buffy laughed and he smiled goofily at her before grabbing his cell phone off of the coffee table. "Should we call Willow and let her know you're back in town?" At Buffy's raised eyebrow, which he took to mean 'duh,' he smiled at her and dialed his best friend's number.

"Don't tell her I'm here!" said Buffy hurriedly before Willow could answer. "I want to surprise her!"

"Hey, Wills!" Xander said into the phone, nodding to Buffy to indicate that he had understood what she had told her. "How's my favorite wicca doing tonight?" He paused as he listened to Willow's answer. "Ah, sounds fun. Want to do something tonight?" Another pause. "Okay great. Meet you at the Bronze in twenty?" He looked toward Buffy and gave her a thumbs-up with his free hand. "Okay, see you then."

"Yeah?" asked Buffy, looking at him curiously as he closed the phone.

"Yep, she'll meet us there," Xander answered, smiling and sneaking in another hug to which Buffy laughed. "C'mon Buff, lets get our dance on."

"Gladly," she laughed as he stood up and mock-bowed before offering her a hand and leading her up the stairs and out of the house. The talked all the way to the Bronze, laughing and talking and merely enjoying each other's company. Turning a corner, the club came into sight, as did a redhead who was leaning against the wall, clearly waiting for someone. As soon as she caught sight of Buffy and Xander, Willow launched herself from the wall, throwing her arms around the Slayer with a squeal and would have knocked them both over if Xander hadn't wrapped his arms around their waists to steady them.

"Oh my god! Buffy!" Willow exclaimed, refusing to let go of her best friend. "I can't believe you're here! It's been so long! Are you having a good time in England? How's teaching? No! How's the _magic_? Have you learned anything yet? Of course you have! I knew you-..."

"Woah! Wills!" Xander placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her away from Buffy, effectively cutting off her rambling. "Breathe! You're babbling again."

"Sorry," said Willow, blushing but continuing to look at Buffy and bounce up and down slightly in excitement.

"Ooh! You cut your hair!" were the first words out of Buffy's mouth and Xander rolled his eyes at the girlie turn the conversation was taking.

"Yeah! Last week!" exclaimed Willow, running her fingers through her hair self consciously. "You like it?"

"Definately!" said Buffy, throwing an arm around both Willow and Xander's waists. "Very sexy!" Willow blushed an even deeper red and Buffy and Xander both smiled at her modesty. The three entered the club, tossing their coats and Buffy's purse onto the pile by the door and made their way to the stage where Oz and his band were playing. Giving the green-haired guitarist a small wave that he returned, Buffy, Willow, and Xander threw themselves into the pulsing beat of the music, letting the music gloss over the stress and tensions in their lives. The three danced for quite a few sets, Oz joining him after his band finished playing, laughing at Xander's crazy moves and reveling in the fact that Buffy was back in town.

Because her Slayer sense had been dulled by the extremely close proximity of a large group of teenagers and the pounding of the music, Buffy was caught off guard when a cool hand ran itself up her arm and neck to twist in her hair. Spinning around, she found herself face-to-face with a pair of piercing blue eyes.

"Hello, Slayer," he said, so close to her ear that she could feel his breath tickling her skin. In a flash he was gone, and Buffy strained to see through the group surrounding her, finally noticing a platinum blond head weaving through the crowd toward the door. Making her way toward the door and ignoring her friends' questions, she burst outside, her breath catching in her throat as the cool night air came into contact with her heated skin. She saw him a few feet down the alleyway, clearly waiting for her, leaning up against the wall and smoking a cigarette. "Well, well, well, look who it is. I was under the impression that you were playing teacher for a bunch of spoiled brats in England."

"Spike," she answered, letting the menace in her voice clearly show through.

"Ooooh, Slayer's all out of insults?" Spike mocked, giving her a lazy smirk and flicking some of the ash off of his cigarette and onto the ground.

"What's a matter, Spike?" said Buffy, using her best patronizing voice and placing a hand on her hip. "Dru dump you again?"

"Maybe I left her!" he retorted, clearly angry at that particular subject. Buffy gave him a 'yeah right' look to which he glared, but was interrupted before he could say anything else.

"She left him for a fungus demon," a voice behind Buffy said and she turned around to see who it was, stopping and raising her eyebrow when she saw a ditzy blond girl that she had gone to high school with. "That's all he talks about most days."

"You're with Harmony?" Buffy asked incredulously, turning back to Spike and giving him a look. "What'd you do? Loose a bet?"

"Hey," she heard Harmony say indignantly but ignored her.

"Harm!" Spike called, stalking over to her and grabbed her arm, trying to lead her out of the alley. "We are going. It isn't time yet."

"Yeah," Harmony agreed, flipping her hair and turning toward Buffy. "But as soon as we have the Gem of Amara, you're going to be sorr-..."

"Argh!" Spike yelled and dragged her out of the alleyway without another word to Buffy, ignoring Harmony's protests of "What? Ow!" Looking after them in confusion, she barely heard her friends step up behind her.

"Hey, Buff. What's up?" Buffy turned to see that it had been Oz that spoke. She walked toward him and gave him a hug before pulling back.

"Hey, Oz!" She smiled. "Guys, something's up. I'm going to go run it by Giles."

"Giles is here?" Willow asked, and Buffy nodded, smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Yeah, probably at home. I'll catch up with you guys later?" Buffy asked at at their nods, made her way to Giles' flat, not even bothering to knock and stepping right in.

"Giles!" Buffy called, wandering through the house and spotting her Watcher and Wesley in the kitchen. "Oh, hey, Wes. You still as stuffy and British as always?" Giles let out a small laugh at this but hastily turned it into a cough when Wesley looked over at him.

"Quite," he answered curtly, giving her a small nod. "You haven't seen my Slayer by chance, have you?"

"Nope," said Buffy popping the 'p' the way she knew he hated and that she always did to annoy him. "Haven't seen her. But Faith's a big girl. I'm sure she'll check in sooner or later. Probably just off getting her kicks after patrol or something." She took a seat at the small kitchen table and Xander, Oz, and Willow followed suit. "So, we got a problem."

" Already? What is it?" Giles asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"Yeah, I know. Figures, huh?" said Buffy sighing and picking at the tablecloth absently. "First day back and there's something a brewing. Guess the duty of a Slayer is never done." Giles gave her a look. "Yeah, right, problem. Spike and Harmony are shacking up. If you can believe it. I couldn't figure out why he ran away, but Harmony said something. Why they were here. They were looking for the gem of something... Amara."

"The Gem of Amara?" asked Wesley, looking at her curiously. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah..." said Buffy, looking at him with a similar expression. "What's up?"

"Uh, oh, it's just..." started Wesley, but Giles cut him off.

"It's not real." Buffy looked at him, and he exited the kitchen, Buffy and Wesley close behind, sitting down on the couch and watching him take a book from one of the multiple bookcases lining the walls.

"It's, uh, the vampire equivalent of the Holy Grail. The source of some enormous power, was conveniently vague," Wesley said, and Buffy nodded, looking up when Giles spoke again.

"Oh, here it is, yes. There was a great deal of vampiric interest in locating it during the... tenth century. Questing vampires combed the earth but no one ever found anything. It was concluded that it never existed." He turned the page, letting loose a small could of dust.

"Well, spike seems to think it exists," said Buffy, standing up and stretching out her back with a _crack_. "And he's looking in Sunnydale."

"Yes, well, I'll research it the best as I can," replied Giles, sitting down on the couch next to Wesley. "Why don't you go to bed."

"Meh, took a nap. I'll patrol a bit before I turn in," Buffy said and bade the two Watchers goodbye before grabbing her purse from the table in the front hall and exiting. Patrol that night was fairly easy, Buffy dusting only a couple of newbie demons before heading home and changing into her PJs, happy to once again be sleeping in her own bed.

The next morning, she woke up to a delicious smell and made her way downstairs after changing into a black t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. On the counter was a plate of pancakes and sausages, still warm, sitting on the counter top with a note from her mother, saying that she was out running some errands and that she would be back later. Grabbing a fork and quickly eating the homemade breakfast, Buffy grabbed her keys and headed off to Giles' to see if he had anything on the gem that Spike was trying to steal. A few minutes later, she arrived at his flat, once again not bothering to knock and simply pushing her way in.

"Hey guys," she greeted, spotting Giles and Willow at the table, Willow typing away at her computer and Giles flipping through some dusty, old book. "What's the what?"

"Oh, good morning," Giles greeted, sending her a small smile while Willow gave her an enthusiastic wave.

"Giles found something," Willow said, and Buffy turned to her Watcher for information.

"A text," he said, indicating the book that he was reading. "It refers to the Gem of Amara as residing in the valley of the sun."

"Demon fancy talk for Sunnydale," Willow added helpfully, and Buffy smiled at her. Giles merely ignored her and continued on.

"It seems that spike may not know what it's about. The gem may exist after all, in Sunnydale, in a sealed underground crypt.

"Why don't you guys try and locate the crypt," said Buffy, snapping into Slayer mode now that they had a lead. "I'll try to find Spike before he gets there."

"I'll get started," said Giles, closing the book and opening another one.

"I'll go call Xander and have him meet us here," said Willow, pulling out her cell phone and dialing Xander's number. With a small nod, Buffy exited the house, not knowing where to start looking for her former enemy. Finally, after much aimless wandering, she reached the UC Sunnydale, sitting down on top of a table to wait for the phone call from Giles telling her where to go. Then, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned, finding herself flat on her back in the grass a mere second later, having been punched in the face by Spike.

"Birds singing, squirrels making lots of rotten little squirrels," he said, smirking down at her, reveling in the surprised look on her face at him standing in the sun. "Sun beaming down in a nice, non-fatal way. It's very exciting. I can't wait to see if I freckle." Finally coming to her senses, Buffy jumped up off of the ground, grabbing a stake from the waistband of her jeans, moving forward to punch him square in the nose, only to be pushed back to the ground by a punch to the stomach. He moved in for the kill, but she was too quick, landing a solid kick to his torso, sending him stumbling back and staking him squarely in the heart.

"Oh, do it again, it tickles" he said, smirking, pulling his body off the stake, and to Buffy's horror, the wound closed up and healed completely. "The Gem of Amara." He showed her the ring and backhanded her, sending her staggering, still surprised at what had just happened. "Official sponsor of my killing you." Buffy recovered quickly, sent a roundhouse kick to his face, and he staggered but didn't fall. Grabbing one of her arms that was stretched out in a punch, he grabbed her hand, swinging her into a pole and kicking her in the stomach, pressing his body against her so that she couldn't move. Not being one to give up easily, she headed butted him, sending him flying to the floor in a heap.

"What's wrong, Slayer?" he asked, pushing himself up off the floor, panting slightly, and blocking a punch that was aimed for his head. "No quipping? No witty puns? What's happened to that lovely girl I've come to hate?"

"Not this time," she said in response, grabbing the collar of his duster and swinging, sending him sprawling over a metal frame table. He gets up quickly, and uses a bench for leverage, jumping off it and kicking her in the face, knocking her to the ground. "More concentrated on beating your ass to a pulp," she continued, panting and sweating, pushing herself up off of the ground and retaliating with a series of punches, hitting Spike in the chest with each one.

"Aw, come on, Slayer," he said, grabbing her fist and pushing her away from him, making her stumble slightly. "You know there's more productive things we can do with our bodies than fighting." He gave her a smirk, running his tongue over his teeth suggestively, only to be tackled to the ground by the small blond.

"In your dreams, Spike," she answered, rolling off him and punching him twice in the face before grabbing the hand with the ring on it.

"Take it off me this way, we both burn," he said, looking from her to the ring, all traces of joking gone, clearly alarmed.

"Really?" she asked, pretending to consider it. "Let's see." She yanked the ring off his finger, stepping back, watching as his face contorted in pain and he fled the scene, bringing his duster up over his head, a trail of smoke following after him. Buffy let out a sigh of relief, slipping the ring into her pocket before making her way back to Giles', limping slightly and wincing in pain. "Guys!" she called out as soon as she pushed through the door, dropping the ring onto the kitchen table before rooting through the freezer for a few ice packs. When she got back, Giles, Wesley, Xander, Oz, and Willow were gathered around the table, looking at the ring.

"I like it," Willow said.

"It's small," Oz pointed out.

"The prettiest man-ring I've ever seen," Xander quipped, and Buffy gave him a look.

"It's also very dangerous," Giles said, and they all turned toward him. "And we're destroying it."

"We don't destroy it," Buffy said, immediately thinking of Angel. She sat down carefully, pressing one ice pack to her back and one to a rapidly forming bruise on her cheek.

"Well, Buffy, any vampire that gets his hand on this is going to be essentially unkillable." Buffy gave him a look and his eyes widened slightly in understanding. "Oh." Buffy opened her mouth to explain further, but was interrupted by a loud _crack_ making Willow and Xander jump, and Buffy look up to see Snape standing in the middle of Giles' living room dressed in black and looking as surly and brooding as ever.

"It is time."

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I think my muse has gotten a few of its issues ironed out. Yay Scoobies! A short visit, but I was missing the old gang, so I had to put them in. I know I cheated a bit with the HLoD thing I threw in there, but I figure I might as well throw in a few baddies from Buffy as well. And who knows? Spike just might end up in Europe after all! Drop me a review on your way out!


	15. The Return of a Friend

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1! Stole a tiny bit of plot from HP and the Half Blood Prince.

Thanks to enchanted light, PrInCeSsFBi, moo, and Aria DeLoncray for your reviews! I'm glad you all are liking it so far!

Sorry for the late update. I just went back to college, and I haven't even looked at my computer since last Friday before I left! Hope you enjoy this one:)

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Buffy could feel her friend's eyes on her, but she ignored them, instead staring into her fellow professor's and seeing a small spark of worry. She turned to the rest of the group only to find them staring at her with confused looks on their faces, clearly wondering who this new person was. She looked back at Snape.

"Now?" Snape gave her a look. "Right, sorry." She turned to the group, immediately snapping into Slayer mode, knowing that she only had a few moments to explain. Voldemort waited for no one. Especially those who were working for him. "Okay, guys. I have to go take care of something. I know I just, got here but I should be back tonight." She looked over at Snape, and he nodded. "I can't explain now. Giles, hold down the fort?" She looked into her Watcher's eyes and saw fear and concern, but he nodded anyways. "I love you guys," she added quietly in case something went horribly wrong.

"Wait," muttered Snape, pulling out his wand, clearing Buffy's face of blood and repairing her split lip to the gasps of her friends. Both Snape and Buffy ignored them.

"Thanks," Buffy said with a smile, and Snape nodded at her.

With a last glance at her friends, she walked over to Snape and took his arm. The two disappeared with a loud _crack_ and a moment later, they were standing in the middle of the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor. Instead of leading her down the hall to the room that they met in last time, he ushered her to the first room on the right. Snape gave her a nod, and Buffy took a deep breath before forcing on a cool facade and clearing her mind. Knocking on the heavy wooden door, Snape held it open for her, waiting for her to go in. Entering, Buffy found herself in a small, dark room, the only source of light being the fireplace. Although it was small, the room was elegantly decorated, with various moving paintings lining the walls and a set of plush, velvet curtains covering the windows. There was a set of matching leather furniture in the center of the room, and Voldemort was sitting in a high-backed chair.

"Ah, Severus, Miss Summers," Voldemort greeted when he caught sight of them. He motioned toward another chair, and Buffy sat down. Snape, however, continued to hover by the doorway. "Thank you, Severus. You may go." Buffy sent him a panicked look, but he simply nodded and exited the room, closing the door behind him. "So good to see you again, Miss Summers."

"Buffy, my lord," she replied with a respectful bow of her head.

"Very well. Buffy. I have a favor to ask of you." He stared straight into her eyes, and she forced herself not to look away, keeping her mind blank and quietly waiting for him to go on. "I have given young Mr. Malfoy a task, to dispose of Dumbledore when the time is right." He paused waiting, waiting for her reaction. She felt her heart skip a beat, but remained calm, not showing any outward signs that she cared. "If for any reason he is unable to complete it, I will expect you to take his place." Buffy was silent for a moment before she realized that he was waiting for an answer.

"Of course, my lord." She felt him probe at the surface of her mind, but kept it closed, and a second later, felt him pull back. "I do have a question though." He nodded slowly, and she continued. "I'm extremely flattered that you chose me, but why not entrust Snape with this task? After all, he is much closer to Draco than I am." He continued to stare at her a moment with those red, snake-like eyes before responding.

"Lately, I have been doubting Severus' loyalty," he said simply and didn't seem to be elaborating, so she nodded. "I would also like you to keep an eye on him so that he does not inform Dumbledore of our alliance." She nodded again.

"Yes, my lord."

"You are still watching Harry Potter, are you not?" She nodded once again, figuring the less she said, the less likely it was that he he would find out about her true intentions. "Excellent." Pause. "You may go." She stood up but before she could make her way to the door, Voldemort spoke again. "I trust you, Buffy. Do not betray me."

"Of course, my lord" she responded, giving him a small bow before exiting the room without so much as another glance at him. Letting out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding, she walked over to Snape who was standing in the entrance hall. At her nod, he grabbed her arm and disapperated, appearing a few seconds later in the middle of Giles' living room, making the gathered Scoobies jump.

"Buffy," greeted Giles, clearly relieved that she was back. "How did-..."

"Giles," interrupted Buffy, sending him an apologetic look. "I can't explain it here. We have to go go to Dumbledore." She looked at the rest of the gang. "Sorry guys, we'll be back in a little bit. Official Slayer business." They all nodded, and Buffy grabbed a nearby cup, pulling out her wand to the gasps of Willow, Xander, and Wesley, muttering "_portus_." She motioned for Giles and Snape to touch the cup, which the both did, and a moment later, found themselves standing in Dumbledore's office. He was in his office at his his desk despite the fact that it was practically the middle of the night. "We have a problem," said Buffy the second she saw the Headmaster, not wasting time on pleasantries. Dumbledore looked up from his paperwork to find the three of them standing in his office.

"Problem?" he asked, gesturing for them to take a seat in the chairs in front of his desk. Snape and Giles sat, but Buffy remained standing.

"So here I am, back home, hanging out with my friends after fighting Spike and taking the Gem of Amara from him... Which makes vampires invincible by the way... I'm going to give it to Angel. It might be useful when we end up fighting Voldemort..." she rambled, and Giles coughed softly, trying to get her back on track. "Right, sorry. Snape here popped into Giles' living room, saying that Voldemort wanted to see me. So I get there, and he tells me that he's told Draco to kill you and that if he wusses out, he wants me to do it." She started to pace the room, still limping slightly from her earlier fight with Spike, gesturing wildly, clearly upset. Dumbledore merely looked at her calmly over his half-mood glasses. "And he doesn't trust you anymore," she added, turning toward Snape. "I asked him why you couldn't do it since you're closer to Draco..."

"You... questioned Voldemort's orders?" asked Dumbledore, and Buffy nodded.

"And he didn't kill you?" asked Snape, equally shocked. Buffy shook her head.

"Yeah so... he suspects that you're working for Dumbledore, and he asked me to keep an eye on you so that you don't tell him." She looked over at Giles, who smiled encouragingly, and finally sat down, exhausted.

"Thank you for informing me of this new development," said the Headmaster, giving her a slight bow of his head. "We were correct in assuming that Voldemort thought of you as a great asset. Now, if you would like to return to your friends... You've done excellently." He gave her a warm smile, and she grinned back.

"Thanks," she said and stood up, Giles following her. "Night Headmaster, Snape." Dumbledore gave them both a nod, while Snape simply continued to scowl at them. Buffy flashed him a quick smile before grabbing the portkey-cup along with Giles, and disappearing in a flash of light, only to reemerge once again in front of her friends. "Hey guys."

"Hi, Buffy," they chorused, and Willow gave her a small wave.

"Buffy, what's going on?" asked Willow, and Buffy sighed, knowing that she couldn't tell them.

"Guys..." She took a deep breath and looked at Giles before turning back to Willow. "I cant... I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell us?" Willow asked, looking at Buffy strangely. "You know that you can tell us anything."

"No, I can't," said Buffy determinedly. "I'd be putting you in too much danger."

"C'mon Buff, we've been in mortal peril before," Xander said, and Willow nodded her head enthusiastically. Wesley and Oz didn't argue; They merely sat quietly; listening to what Buffy had to say.

"Not like this," she continued, shaking her head at her two best friends. "This is big. Like end of the world big."

"We've _done_ end of the world big," countered Willow, clearly starting to get a bit upset that Buffy wouldn't trust her with this information.

"No, it's not the same... I... Giles!" She wasn't explaining it well, so she looked toward her Watcher to help.

"Buffy is right."

"But, Giles!" Willow cried, but he held up a hand to silence her.

"No, Willow, listen." She looked down and stopped protesting, upset at being chided. "You would all be in extreme danger if we were to tell you what Buffy has been doing. We are on the eve of one of the biggest wars in the wizarding world. People are not above killing someone just because they know something. Voldemort would have no problem having any of you killed or tortured if he so much as suspected that Buffy had told you about her role."

"If one of you cracked, which would be understandable, it would also put me, and our whole plan, in danger," said Buffy, having calmed down slightly. "It's much safer for all of us this way. Trust me?"

"Oh, Buffy, of course we trust you," insisted Willow, separating from Oz so that she could give her a hug, and Xander nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, Buff," said Xander, shooting her a smile. "'Course we trust you. We just want to help."

"Yeah, I know, and trust me, I'm definitely going to need your help when this blows up in my face." She made a face, thinking about what would happen if Voldemort found out that she was really working for Dumbledore. Having made up, they all, minus Giles and Wesley, headed off for a night on the town, wanting to spend as much time together as they could before Buffy headed back to England. Even Faith showed up, saying that she had met a guy a few days ago after petrol and had been spending time with him. No one questioned her explanation, not wanting to know any of the details. They had dinner at the Summers' before Bronzing it for the rest of the night, and going back to Buffy and Faith's for a sleepover. The next morning, the Scoobies, plus Joyce and Wesley, gathered in the Summer's living room to see Buffy and Giles off.

"Bye, Mom," said Buffy as Joyce pulled her into a hug. She wasn't as upset to be leaving home this time, as she now knew how easy it was to come visit. She was hit with an arm full of Willow once her mom let go.

"Oh, Buffy, we're going to miss you so much!" Xander joined in on the group hug and Joyce stepped back, letting them have their moment.

"Yeah, Buff, come visit us again soon." Buffy smiled at him and pulled away, gently removing Willow's arms from around her neck.

"See ya, Oz... Wes." Oz smiled in that quiet way of his, and Wesley gave her a small nod. "You guys call me if anything happens, okay? I'm still you Slayer, after all."

"Keep them safe?" asked Buffy, walking up to Faith. Faith nodded and gave her a hug; Apparently, she had gotten over her aversion to hugs. "Alright guys, we've got to be going... Our portkey's gonna activate in a minute or so."

After a few last hugs and goodbyes, Buffy and Giles each placed a finger on the small hairbrush Buffy had turned into a portkey and were whisked away from the Summers' living room, only to land in Dumbledore's office. Looking around, Buffy noticed that the Headmaster wasn't present, but with a glance at the clock, realized that he was probably down at dinner. Pushing herself off of the floor, she offered her Watcher a hand up before the two grabbed their bags and headed down to dinner. Because they were late, all heads turned in their direction as they entered, but they ignored them, making their way to the head table, nodding at Dumbledore in greeting as they passed. Buffy hurried through dinner, barely pausing to talk to the other professors, wanting to get back to her room so that she could continue grading all of the essays she had accumulated over the past week.

"Hey, Giles?" Giles looked over at his Slayer and smiled. "I'ma head upstairs. I want to get all those papers graded and get to sleep early so jet lag doesn't kick my ass tomorrow morning."

"Oh, of course," he said. "Have a good night."

"Night," she responded with a smile before dropping her fork onto the table next to her half-eaten peace of chocolate cake and pushing out her seat, making her way down the aisle away from the head table and toward the doors. Seeing Harry looking at her out of the corner of her eye, she turned and gave a wink before slipping out of the Great Hall and up to her room. Entering after giving the password to the portrait guarding her rooms, she dropped her duffel bag onto one of the couches before settling down in the living room and eying the stack of parchment in front of her warily. Sighing dramatically, she picked up a red pen and a stack of papers, curling up on the couch and bracing herself for a night of grading.

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_She was in a dimly lit room that she had never seen before; it was large and rectangular and in the very center of a sunken, stone pit in the middle of the room was an ancient, crumbling stone archway which stood unsupported by any surrounding wall. Making her way down the stone benches that lined the room, she got close enough to see that there was a tattered black curtain, fluttering in the archway as if there was a light breeze, though the air in the room was completely still. Moving even closer to the arch, she leaned in as she heard faint whispering, reaching out to touch the curtain. To see what was behind it. For some reason, she felt drawn to it, like it was sucking her in. She pushed her hand closer to the veil, barely feeling the fabric graze her fingertips before the curtain parted, spilling something out of it before closing once again._

_She jumped back instinctively, watching as the figure fell to its knees before giving a weak groan and collapsing to the ground. Stretching out her Slayer senses to get a feel of the person, she hurried forward kneeling beside the figure and turning it over when she felt nothing evil. He had long, dark hair that fell limply around his face and a pale, drawn face. He was quite handsome despite the fact that it looked like he hadn't seen sunlight or had anything to eat in ages. She sat there for a moment, staring down at the man until his eyes snapped open, gray eyes connecting with bright, green ones._

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Buffy awoke with a start, blinking to clear her vision as the flickering of the fire that a house elf had undoubtedly started came into view. Sitting up, she peeled a piece of parchment off of her face, looking around and realizing that she had fallen asleep on the papers she had been grading. Glancing at the clock and seeing that it was two am.., she put down the papers and stood up, not even bothering to change before hurrying to the portrait hole, grabbing her wand and stashing it in the waistband of her jeans as she went. Sprinting down the halls and ignoring the paintings that woke up and started whispering as she raced past, she reached Dumbledore's office in a matter of minutes, banging open the doors and stumbling through without waiting for an invitation.

"Buffy," said the Headmater with a polite smile, putting down what he was doing and giving her his full attention. She briefly wondered if he ever slept before snapping her mind back to the topic at hand. "What can I do for you this evening?" He gestured for her to take a seat, which she did before taking a deep breath and recounting all that she could about her dream. When she was done, he continued to look at her seriously over his half-mood spectacles, making her slightly nervous, as she had no idea who this man was or what was going on. He made no move to speak.

"Um... Professor?" she asked, looking at him with her head tilted slightly to the side in confusion. Nothing. "Professor," she tried a little louder. He sat up a little straighter, indicating that he had heard her. At this, she let loose a slew of questions that were burning inside of her, bursting to get out. "Who was that man? And that weird, magical veil thing? Why was he in there? Where does it go?" He held up a gentle hand to silence her, and she fell quiet, wanting answers.

"Are you sure this was no ordinary dream?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No, it was totally a vision. I get this little tingly feeling after I have one."

"I see." Pause." The man that you saw in your dream was Sirius Black," Dumbledore explained, but before he could continue, Buffy interrupted him.

"Sirius Black? Like Harry's godfather Sirius?"

"Indeed." If Dumbledore was annoyed at her for interrupting him, he didn't show it. "The veil is located in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. No one knows what is beyond the veil, as no one who has passed through it has returned. One can only guess. Do you know how Sirius died?" Buffy shook her head. No one seemed to want to talk about Sirius. She had only gotten a few sentences of explanation from conversations with both Lupin and the trio. "He was killed by his cousin. A Miss Bellatrix Lestrange. I believe you have met her. She is a Death Eater and a devoted follower of Voldemort." Buffy nodded, remembering the pretty, dark-haired witch she had met at the first meeting. "She hit him with a curse and he fell through the veil. He has not been heard from since." The two sat in silence, Buffy drinking in all of the information she had been giving and Dumbledore waiting patiently for her reaction.

"We have to get him," she responded a few moments later, looking up at the Headmaster. When he opened his mouth to object, Buffy cut him off before he could get any words out. "We have to. If the guy just came back from the dead, or from some alternate dimension thing, he's going to need us! He's going to need Harry." She dropped her voice and looked down at her hands. "He misses him so much. He doesn't say it, but I can tell." She looked up again and saw that he was staring at her. She continued. "Both of them. They need each other. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let him continue to suffer." She put on an almost perfect imitation of Willow's resolve face, and Dumbledore nodded.

"You do understand that this will be very dangerous. The Ministry may have been compromised, and it will look extremely suspicious for you to enter the Department of Mysteries. Your life may be in danger." Buffy gave him a look that clearly said that her life was in danger most of the time. "Right, of course. I was just making sure that you understood the risks of your rescue." Buffy nodded to show that she did understand. "I will have Arthur take you. You would be looked at as less of a threat if you were to enter the Ministry with an escort."

"No," said Buffy immediately before shooting the Headmaster an apologetic look for interrupting him. "Sorry." He waved at her to go on. "I don't want anyone to go with me. It's too dangerous. And I'll already have to protect Sirius. It'll be much harder if there's someone else there, too."

"As you wish," Dumbledore said with a small nod, understanding her logic. "Did your dream give you any clues to when this event is to occur?" Buffy thought for a moment.

"Umm... he fell out of the arch thing the second my fingers made contact with the curtain... So I guess, whenever I touch it?" she guessed. "I want to do this asap. Tonight. Right now, actually. Before people start going in for work. It'll be way easier, and there'll be a much smaller chance of me getting caught smuggling a convicted murderer, who everyone thinks is dead, back to the school."

"Of course, that would be best," Dumbledore responded, and she nodded. "You will be taking the floo network." He gestured toward the fireplace in his office, situated to the left of the desk. "There are sensors surrounding the Ministry, like Hogwarts, to monitor unauthorized portkeys. As with apperation. It will be less conspicuous if you were to floo." Buffy nodded once again. "Take the lift from the atrium to level nine. This is where the Department of Mysteries is. Once you collect Sirius, I urge you to return as soon as you can. It is likely that there will be security guarding the building now that Voldemort has returned to full power." Buffy stood up and walked over to the fireplace, as did Dumbledore who handed her a clay pot containing an amount of shimmering, green powder.

"Don't tell Harry about this yet," she said as she grabbed a handful. "Don't want him to get his hopes up in case something happens... Or if it doesn't work... Or something... But you can tell the Order. They should know." With one last glance at the nodding headmaster, she took a deep breath before throwing the powder into the fire, shouting "Ministry of Magic, London!" and stepping into the fireplace.

A few moments later, she skidded out of the fireplace, managing to stay on her feet, finding herself in a large hall with fireplaces up and down both long walls. Walking past a large fountain depicting a witch, wizard, centaur, goblin, and house elf, she kept close to the wall, creeping in and out of the shadows created by a few candles mounted to the wall. The atrium was empty, its employees having gone home to their families hours ago, and Buffy encountered no problems as she quickly made her way toward the lifts and jabbed at the button next to them. Stepping into the elevator once it arrived, she felt it descend, stopping one floor below to a cool female voice announcing "Level nine, Department of Mysteries." Stepping out of the lift and hearing it ascend once again to the main level, Buffy made her way down a small, bare corder and entered a plane black door.

The door opened up into a large, circular room with twelve plain, black, handelless doors all around it. The only light came from candles mounted to the wall that were burning a bright blue. Leaving the door open so that she could find her way back, Buffy closed her eyes, concentrating and trying to find the room that she was looking for. A few seconds later, her eyes snapped open and she walked toward the door directly to her left, reaching out a hand to nudge it, and it easily swung inward. Cautiously stepping into the room, she saw the exact scene that her dream had depicted. Making her way down the various benches that tiered away from the pit that contained the archway, she kept her eyes fixed on the fluttering black curtain, unconsciously expecting something to fall out any second. As she reached the arch, she hesitantly reached out her hand, knowing that she had to touch the curtain. She didn't particularly like this, as she knew better than to stick her finger into some unknown substance. But it was the only way.

She braced herself as her fingers made contact with the tattered curtain, but nothing happened. She stood there for a second, disappointed that it hadn't worked. However, as she started to remove her hand, the curtain parted like in her dream, and something fell out. This time, unlike in her dream, Buffy rushed forward and caught him before he could crash to the ground. Laying him gently on the ground next to the arch, she smoothed the hair off of his forehead, taking in his features; the same eyes, the same pale skin, and the same handsome features that she had seen in her dream. So preoccupied with looking him over to make sure that he was alright, she didn't see him open his eyes, and jumped slightly when he spoke.

"Harry..." he managed to rasp out in a weak voice before his eyes closed once again and he lapsed into silence. Wanting to get him back to Dumbledore as soon as possible, she gathered him up in her arms, throwing him over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, and hurried up the stone benches, into the circular room, and out of the door toward the lift, glad that she had kept the door open so that she didn't have to go through the trouble of finding out which one was the exit. Struggling slightly with the man draped over her shoulder, not the weight, but the bulk, she made her way toward the lift, punching the button with her free hand and stepped in. A few moments of silence where she felt the elevator moving upwards and then:

"Level eight, The Atrium." Once the elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open, Buffy rushed through them, adjusting Sirius on her shoulder so that he wouldn't slip off, and made her way past the security desk close to the elevators, the Fountain of Magical Brethren, stopping in front of on of the fireplaces on the right hand side of the room. Throwing in double the usual amount of floo powder into the fireplace to be safe, she stepped in, stumbling out on the other end as a result of her momentum and the fact that was carrying someone twice her size and weight.

Looking up from her place on the floor, flat on her back with Sirius' head clutched to her chest so that he wouldn't get hurt, she saw a few members of the Order rushing toward her. As she was lifted off the ground and placed back on her feet by Hagrid, she saw that either McGonagall or Dumbledore had conjured a floating stretcher and were levitating Sirius onto it, Lupin was looking down at him in shock and awe, and Snape was standing by himself in the corner, looking more brooding and surly than Buffy had ever seen him. Once she assured them that she was alright and nothing bad had happened, she and Sirius were both whisked off to the infirmary; the members of the Order that were present joined them as well. When they got there, Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, nearly attacked Buffy, hovering around her and making sure that she was alright. It took Buffy a few minutes to convince her that she was fine, but as soon as she did, the nurse quickly moved on to Sirius.

Exhausted, as she had only gotten a few hours of sleep before her big rescue, Buffy slumped into a chair, watching as Madam Pomfrey tended to an unconscious Sirius. McGonagall had gone to get Harry, and a few minutes later, he hurtled into the room, eyes wild and hair tousled and messy from sleep, still in his pajamas, and skidded to a halt in front of Sirius' bed. By then, those present were seated in a circle around the bed, staring at Buffy, clearly wanting to hear what had happened. When Harry burst in, they all looked up.

"What happened?" he asked, the second he had entered the room and rushed over to the bed, looking at his godfather in a perfect imitation of Lupin's expression at the moment at which he had first seen his friend. Then he turned to Buffy. All of the professors followed his example and turned toward her as well. Apparently, Dumbledore hadn't told them about her dream. Wanting Harry to hear the whole story, Buffy took a deep breath before starting to explain as the others looked on intently, knowing that this new development would be a great asset to them in the upcoming war.

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Well, that's it for now! A bit short, but I felt it deserved its own chapter. I hope you liked it! I know it's a bit cliché, but I had to use my artistic license to bring back my favorite character! Drop me a review for my muse on the way out!


	16. Dinner with the Enemy

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Thanks to PrInCeSsFBi, Dax, moo, cRiMsOnGoDdEsS01, Aria DeLoncray, Anne 79 , moniteur (wow, totally did NOT catch that at all... thanks for that!), and stasa (in order... maybe, maybe, most definitely! Hehe sorry I'm being vague, but gotta leave it a surprise, don't I?) for your lovely reviews! Thanks for taking the time to drop me one! I'm glad you're all still enjoying it! Oh, and for those who suggested that brining Sirius back was too easy, don't worry. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve on that one... He's not out of the woods yet (unfortunately)!

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"Buffy?"

Buffy looked up to see Giles standing above her, looking down at her with a concerned look marring his features. The stack of papers on her lap shifted; she had arrived at the infirmary with the intention of grading her seventh year's essays on the Slayer, but within seconds of sitting down and taking out her work, her eyes had drifted to the man occupying the hospital bed in front of her, laying motionless and silent among the crisp, white sheets. It had been a month since she had returned him from the Department of Mysteries, and there had been virtually no progress in regards to his condition. Madame Pomfrey had deduced that although his condition was stable, she had idea when, or if, he would ever wake up. Buffy had taken to spending almost every moment when she was not in class at his bedside, wanting to be there when he woke up. Other than Angel, who didn't really count since he came back as a vampire, Buffy was the only one who had died and come back. Knowing that it could be extremely disorienting to be brought back, she knew that it would be worse for him because he had been dead for a year in comparison to her three or four minutes and wanted to be there for him.

"Oh, hey, Giles. What's up?" she asked with a smile. She could tell that her Watcher was worried about her, but ignored it, knowing that what she was doing was the right thing.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were alright," he answered, and she nodded, indicating that she was fine. "And to come get you for dinner. It's almost seven." Buffy glanced at the clock on the wall behind her, sighing when she realized that she had been sitting there for almost two and a half hours.

"I'm fine, I'm not-..." she started, but was immediately interrupted.

"You have to eat something," he urged gently, bending down to collect the papers spread across her lap, placing them on the small nightstand at the head of the bed before returning his attention to his Slayer. "You have to get out of this room." Buffy sighed once again, knowing that he was right. She had been spending too much time waiting for Sirius to wake up, and both Giles and her friends were getting worried about her. Although various Order members and the trio often came to visit, they had their own jobs, and in the case of the three Gryffindors, their own classes and homework to attend to. Buffy had seen Harry the most, as he had been visiting the infirmary almost every day for any word on his godfather.

"Yeah, alright." Buffy accepted the hand up and the two made their way out of the small room, out of the infirmary, and into the corridor that led to the rest of the castle. However, the second that they stepped off of the staircase to the entrance hall, they were met by Snape.

"Miss Summers," he greeted and gave Giles a curt nod.

"Hey, Snapey!" He ignored her and continued.

"Voldemort requests that you join him for dinner." Buffy made a face that he took to mean 'ew, do I have to?' and he nodded. "We will leave as soon as you are ready. She looked over at Giles, and he gave her arm a small squeeze and told her to be careful before entering the Great Hall and leaving Buffy and Snape at stare at each other.

"kay, I'm ready," she said, breaking the silence. "Let's go." Without another word, she led him out the large front doors of the castle, over the small, grass-covered hills, and past the lake, stopping once she had exited the gate to Hogwarts, immediately feeling the protective enchantments she had used to lift once she crossed the line. She took Snape's outstretched hand and a second later, they were standing in the front hall of the Malfoy Manor. Buffy briefly wondered why there weren't any protection spells cast on the Manor, but shrugged it off, allowing Snape to guide her down the hall to the room where she had first met Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

"Ah, Buffy, Severus," came a cool, high-pitched voice the second they stepped into the room. Buffy looked up to see that Voldemort was seated at the long, beautifully decorated table and gave a slight bow of her head. She moved immediately to the seat that he mentioned to, the seat between him and Angel, and sat down, feeling Angel give her hand a small squeeze under the table. "So good of you to join us." Snape took a seat on Voldemort's other side, directly across the table from Buffy.

"Thanks for having us, my lord," replied Buffy, watching as he signaled for everyone to start eating. She looked over at Angel, who had a large mug of blood in front of him, silently asking if it was a good idea to eat the food, and he nodded slightly. Turning back to Voldemort, she helped herself to a large piece of roast pig before continuing. "You didn't have to wait for us to eat."

"Of course we did, my dear." A ghost of a smile played over his pale features, and Buffy inwardly shuddered. It was literally one of the most frightening things she'd ever seen, and she'd seen quite a bit in her 5 years as a Slayer. "I take it you are doing well at Hogwarts?" Buffy raised an eyebrow at this question, but quickly schooled her features into a mask of cool indifference. She was officially wigged. This was less of a "you're doing what I ordered you to do, right?" type question and more of a "hey, honey, how was your day?" one.

"Nothing has changed. Things are going according to plan." It seemed that he didn't know about Sirius' return, and Buffy wasn't about to tell him. She wanted to keep that a secret from him as long as possible. Who knew what he would do with that information once he found out.

"Excellent," he replied. Turning his attention to Snape, Buffy took this opportunity to glance down the table, committing each and every one of Voldemort's guests to memory. There were only six other people seated at the table, filling only about half, in contrast to the first night where every seat had been filled. It appeared that only those of importance had been invited to dinner. Two of them she did not recognize, a large blond man and an equally large woman who appeared to be his sister, but knew the other four, if not personally, by reputation. Draco sat between his mother and father, not looking at her, staring down at his plate so that he would not have to converse with anybody. Across from him sat the same brunette woman that had caught her eye at the first meeting. She had been gazing at Buffy with a sour expression marring her beautiful face, but as soon as she realized she had been caught, she quickly looked away, turning toward Draco's mother. Wormtail was missing, probably off doing one of Voldemort's "errands."

"Hey," whispered Buffy so quietly that no one would have been able hear her if they didn't have enhanced hearing, nudging Angel's knee softly with her own, causing him to turning away from his conversation with Lucius Malfoy. He hadn't touched the blood in the ornately carved goblet in front of him; he had always had an aversion to drinking when Buffy was around. "What's up with that lady?"

"Who?" he whispered back just as quietly, looking away and down the table before returning his gaze to her once again. "The one sitting across from Draco... Pretty. Weird hair. Pale. Kinda vamp-looking actually." Angel smiled slightly at her description.

"Belletrix Lestrange," he answered, elaborating when he got a blank look from his former lover. "Draco's aunt. She's the one that killed Sirius." Buffy tensed slightly, wanting nothing more than to lunge across the table and kill the bitch that had taken Harry's godfather away, but forced herself to calm down when Angel placed his hand gently on her knee. She forced her emotions from the surface, not wanting Voldemort to know what she was thinking or that she knew more about Sirius Black than she had let on. The rest of dinner passed quite uneventfully, well, as uneventfully as sharing a meal with the Dark Lord and his followers could be, and before she knew it, Buffy was staring at an ornately carved table, a series of house elves having just finished clearing away the empty plates and goblets.

"You may all be excused," said Voldemort in that commanding voice of his, and everyone took this as their cue to leave. However, Buffy was only half way out of her seat before she was told to sit back down. "Buffy, if I could have a word?" She nodded and sat back down, giving Angel a reassuring smile when she saw that he had halted, not sure if he wanted to leave her alone with Voldemort. "Severus, Angelus, wait outside." Snape gave a small bow and ushered a reluctant Angel out of the room, closing the door behind him with a small _click_. He turned back to Buffy, and she had to force herself not to look away when his blood-red eyes met her green ones. "I trust you have been keeping an eye on both Draco and Severus?" She nodded.

"Yes, my lord," she responded with a slight bow of her head. "Neither of them have done anything against your orders."

"Good." There was a long pause where he continued to look at her. Finally, he continued. "I want you to join me after Dumbledore and all of his followers are destroyed." This caught Buffy's attention, and she sat up a little straighter, wanting to know what he was talking about.

"What?"

"The others are dispensable." He waved a hand in the direction of the doors that his Death Eaters had exited out of. "You are, and would, be a great asset to me. Together we could rule both the wizarding and muggle worlds." Buffy continued to stare at him, not believing what she had just heard.

"Uhhhh..." she answered eloquently. Voldemort seemed to sense her discomfort, but merely ignored it.

"You, of course, do not have to make that decision right now. You may choose not to join me." He looked at her seriously. "However, it will be in your best interest to do so." She felt him begin to probe at the surface of her mind, and quickly closed off her mind, forcing a lie to the surface.

"I would be honored, my lord," she responded with a slight bow of her head. Apparently, he found what he wanted, and she felt him withdraw, sighing inwardly in relief. He seemed pleased.

"I also extend an invitation for you to dine with us whenever possible." Buffy saw a gaping hole in this plan, but wisely kept her mouth shut. "I know I have not called for you in quite a while, but that is about to change." He paused, waiting for her response, and she nodded quickly.

"I will try to attend as often as possible, but it might be a bit hard to come every night without Dumbledore noticing."

"Of course," he responded, giving her a nod of his own. "You may go." She took this as a cue to leave and quickly stood up, giving Voldemort one last bow of her head before making her way to the door and exiting, closing it with a soft _click_ before letting out a long breath that she didn't know she had been holding.

Spotting Angel and Snape in the front hall, standing several feet apart and glaring at each other like they were trying to out-brood the other, she hurried over to them, shaking her head quickly at Angel's curious look. Grabbing one of Snape's arms and motioning for Angel to do the same, which he did extremely reluctantly, she felt the room disappear around her and after the darkness and feeling of suffocation cleared, found herself at the end of the road leading to Hogwarts, panting slightly at the familiar lung-compressing feeling. Sending Angel to find Giles once they reached the castle, Buffy and Snape made their way to the entrance of the Headmaster's office, entering once he called out to them. They waited until Giles and Snape arrived, Buffy not wanting to have to explain things twice, before she quickly told them what had happened and left to resume her nightly vigil at Sirius bedside.

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Okay, I realize that this is HIDEOUSLY short and ends very briefly and not a lot happens, but I finished it like a week ago and haven't gotten around to doing anything else with it or coming anywhere near close to continuing it. I figured I'd post this little snippet so that y'all can read it while I continue to be distracted by college life... -- Short is better than nothing, yeah? Hope to continue this story soon, I just didn't like having this document in my folder not doing anything! Drop me a review anyways!


	17. An Unexpected Ally

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Hey guys, I am SO sorry that I haven't updated in forever. School's been crazy lately and quite frankly, my muse died, and I had to wait for a new one to be born and grow up so that I could continue writing this... Hopefully it's worth the wait! I might not be able to update for a couple more weeks because of finals, but I will definitely try to crank out a few chapters over Winter break.

Thanks to stasa, Aria DeLoncray, PrInCeSsFBi, Dax, and gabrieldarke for your wonderful reviews. My muse lives off of reviews, so keep them coming! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story enough to read and review it!

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Bring on the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

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Buffy stumbled through the door and kicked it shut with her foot, her arms loaded with a stack of ungraded papers, only to realize that her usual chair next to Sirius' bed was already occupied. Taking in his unruly hair, skewed glasses, and the fact that his cheek was pressed into a book at the foot of the bed where the chair was pushed, she smiled before using her elbow to shift a lamp on the bedside table before placing the stack of papers down as quietly as possible. However, before she could make her way out of the room to leave him in peace, he groaned and started thrashing in his sleep, throwing his glasses from his face and toppling sideways out of the chair.

"Agh!" Buffy called out in surprise and lunged toward him, grabbing him before he hit the floor and laid him down as gently as possible while trying to avoid his flailing limbs. "Harry! Harry, wake up!" Restraining his arms with one hand, she leaned closer, cupping his face in her other hand. He instantly calmed as she continued to stroke his face, and after a few seconds, opened his eyes. Reaching over his body, Buffy picked up his fallen glasses before placing them gently back on his face. "Hey, are you okay?"

"What... What happened?" he asked, looking up at her curiously and bringing a hand to his head.

"You were sleeping and you just freaked out, flailing included, and fell out of the chair," Buffy responded, tilting her head in a sign of worry.

"I don't..." All of a sudden, he shot up off of the floor, making Buffy jump back to avoid a collision. Cautiously getting to her feet, she kept an eye on him as he paced the room, muttering under his breath.

"Um... Harry... what-..." she started but was cut off before she could ask what was going on.

"Voldemort has a new spy!" he blurted out suddenly, throwing his arms up into the air and causing her to jump slightly. "How could we not have known? We have to tell Dumbledore!" He made for the door, but Buffy grabbed his arm just as he was reaching for the doorknob and pulled him back, gently pushing him down into his previously-occupied chair. Harry continued to struggle slightly, but calmed the longer Buffy's hand remained on his shoulder.

"Woah! Calm down there sparky. What's going on?" she asked, squelching the sinking feeling in her stomach at the possibility of him knowing that she was going under-cover for Voldemort.

"Voldemort and Bellatrix" he said, and Buffy could hear the venom dripping from his words when he mentioned the name of the woman that killed his godfather, "were fighting about some girl." Buffy's eyes widened in horror, but he seemed to take it as surprise and continued. "She was yelling... They didn't say her name, but Bellatrix seemed jealous of her... We need to tell Dumbledore!" He brushed her hand aside and jumped up from the chair, causing Buffy to step back in surprise. Instinctively, she grabbed his hand in an attempt to stop him, but after looking into his eyes and seeing the turmoil hidden behind the bright green, Buffy sighed and nodded.

"Alright, come on, I'll take 'ya," she said, removing her hand from his arm and motioning in the direction of the door. Looking back over her shoulder as she exited after Harry, she sighed once again at seeing Sirius lying motionless in his bed. Closing the door behind her, she followed Harry down the corridor and two flights of stairs, coming to a halt in front of the stone statue that guarded the Headmaster's office. After giving the password, liquorish wands, the two made their way up the winding staircase, entering when Dumbledore called for them to come in.

"Ah, Buffy, Mr. Potter," he greeted with a polite nod, "What can I do for you this evening?" He waved a hand in the direction of the chairs in front of his desk, and Buffy took a seat, but Harry began to pace, barely paying the Headmaster any attention.

"I had another vision," Harry said suddenly, causing Buffy and Dumbledore to focus their attention on him. He continued to pace as he struggled to recount what he had seen. "Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange were fighting… Bellatrix was yelling at him… About some girl, a new spy. She was jealous of the new girl… Something about not trusting her. How could he just toss her aside after all her years of loyal service toward him." Dumbledore glanced at Buffy, but Harry didn't seem to notice. His eyes were screwed up in an attempt to retain what he had just seen. When he could not remember anything else, he walked over to Dumbledore's desk and slumped, exhausted, into the chair next to Buffy. After a slight pause, the Headmaster spoke, causing both Buffy and Harry to look up at him.

"Was the identity of this young woman revealed?" Harry shook his head, and Buffy turned her head to look at him.

"No, they didn't mention her name, or where she was from, or anything." He sighed, frustrated that he couldn't be more help, and Buffy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Harry," she said gently, giving him a soft smile. "Why don't you head to bed? It's pretty late."

"But-…" he started to protest but was cut off by Dumbledore.

"Excellent idea, Buffy. Mr. Potter, thank you for coming to me with this information. I will do all that I can to find as much information possible about this woman. Good night." Harry seemed to detect the gentle dismissal and got up, nodding at the Headmaster and sending Buffy a smile before taking one last look at them and exiting the room.

"Well… that can't be good," said Buffy, frowning once he left and turning her attention back to Dumbledore. "Having Bellatrix suspicious and jealous of me, I mean."

"I'm afraid not," he replied.

"Did they… Bellatrix and Voldemort… did they have a relationship or something? She seems to be less 'how could you trust her over me' jealous and more 'how dare you look at another woman' jealous."

"Tom Riddle does not have relationships," responded Dumbledore with sigh. "He has never, and will never, see another person as his equal. They are simply minions, people he sends out to do his work for him. After all that he has done, I do not believe that he is capable of loving any other person than himself. He is drawn to you because of his power, because of your potential for darkness."

"Egh," said Buffy, a look of disgust crossing her face. "Great. I can't just have a normal relationship like every other girl my age. I always gotta attract the ones that want to destroy the world." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, and she pushed herself out of the chair she had been occupying. "Well, if that's all, I have a mountain of grading I have to get back to…"

"Oh, yes, of course," said Dumbledore with a wave of his hand. "And I trust that Mr. Potter knows nothing of your…"

"Being double agent gal?" she asked, and he nodded. "Nope. Figured he'd be safer not knowing. Though, it might not stay secret for long since he's playing vision boy with Voldemort. But I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Night, Professor."

"Sleep well, Buffy." With a final wave a Dumbledore, Buffy exited the office and followed the staircases and corridors to her suite, entering and grabbing a few supplies before heading to the entrance hall and emerging from the castle, reveling in the feeling of the cool air caressing her skin. Reaching the Forbidden Forest, she wove her way through the trees and bushes covering the forest floor, looking for a baddie to slay but finding none, and finally gave up after half an hour, making her way back to the castle, slightly disappointed that she hadn't found anything to pummel to get her frustrations out. After stopping by the infirmary to check on Sirius and retrieve the stack of papers she had left, she retired to her suite, dropping the papers on the coffee table before entering her room to change. Emerging from her room dressed in a comfortable pair of sweat pants and a tank top, she curled up the couch, red pen in hand, ready to correct some sixth-year essays.

"Miss Buffy?" Buffy turned to see Sir Charles at the back of his portrait, looking at her expectantly.

"What's up, Charles?" she asked, giving him a smile.

"You have a visitor, Miss," he responded, giving her a small bow. "A Mr. Malfoy." Buffy raised an eyebrow and sighed, throwing the red pen on top of the pile of essays before getting up off of the couch and heading toward the portrait hole. Pushing the portrait open, she was met with the sharp, pale face of Draco Malfoy. Tilting her head, she noticed that he looked paler than usual and was twitching nervously, refusing to meet her gaze. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Draco," she said coolly, not even attempting to keep the distaste out of her voice when addressing the boy that constantly bullied her friends. "What can I do for you?" Draco stood in silence for a moment before whispering something that Buffy would not have been able to make out if it wasn't for her Slayer hearing.

"Can I come inside?"

"You want to come inside. After you tried to kill me. After being a total ass to my friends on a daily basis? Just because we have the same boss doesn't mean that I have to like you or help you in any way, shape, or form."

"Please..." he said softly, continuing to look down at his feet. Furrowing her brow in curiosity, Buffy stepped aside, letting him enter, before the portrait swung shut of its own accord. Leading him over to the couch, Buffy sat down, but he continued to stand, looking more lost than she had ever seen him.

"Sit," she said, and his eyes snapped to hers briefly before taking a seat next to her. "So, Draco, what's up. You're all twitchy and sweaty. Someone finally get you back for being such a jerk?"

"I… I didn't know where else to go…" he said, so quietly and pathetically that Buffy felt a wave of concern wash over her despite the fact that she hated the kid. "I don't know what to do."

"What to do? About what?" Buffy asked, her voice considerably gentler than it had been when she had found him standing outside the door to her suite. "What's going on, Draco?"

"I can't… He wants me to… to…" Buffy turned on the couch so that she was facing him, giving him her undivided attention. He seemed to gain a bit of confidence from her worrying look and continued. "Voldemort wants me to kill Dumbledore." Sensing his hesitation to proceed, she responded.

"I know." He looked slightly taken aback, but continued none the less.

"I can't… I don't want to…" 'Damn,' thought Buffy, 'Either this kid's serious or he should be nominated for an Oscar.' She continued to stare at him, taking in his pale features and uneasy movements, looking into his eyes and seeing the guilt hidden behind the gray.

"You'd better not be playing with me, Draco," she said, voice quiet but demanding; the perfect combination to get him to confess everything. "If you're doing this to try and prove my disloyalty to your boss or get me killed…"

"I'm not," he said quickly, and Buffy took another second to scrutinize him before nodding.

"Alright, I doubt you're a good enough actor to pull off lying to me, so I believe you. But be warned, if you are lying, I'll kick you ass back to last century." There was a pause while the two continued to stare at each other. Finally, Buffy had enough and broke the silence. "Right. So… um… It's pretty late. You shouldn't be walking around on your own. Want to crash here for the night?"

"Yeah, sure, alright," he answered, still extremely pale, but looking calmer than he had when he had shown up at Buffy's door. Getting up and sending him a small smile, she exited the room and grabbed an extra pillow and blanket from the wardrobe in her bedroom before reemerging and handing them to Draco.

"Here 'ya go. Make yourself comfortable. If you need me…" she trailed off, jerking her thumb in the direction of her room. He nodded. "Well… night then." She turned and started heading back when he softly called out to her. Stopping, she turned her head so that she could see him, looking at him curiously.

"I-… thanks."

"No problem. It's what I'm here for." She smiled at him softly. "Get some rest." Turning back away from him, she entered her room, and knowing that she wasn't going to get any work done now that he was here, changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top and crawled into bed, snuggling into her comforter and waiting for sleep to overtake her.

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_Buffy was standing in a dark room, the only source of light being one lone candle that stood upon a table in front of her. Looking around the room, she saw two figures; one that she recognized and one that she didn't._

"_Bring me the boy," ordered Lord Voldemort, staring down at the man that sat bowed at his feet._

"_But my lord, the boy is heavily guarded at all times… Dumbledore won't allow anyone near him…" the man pleaded, knowing that what he was being asked was nearly impossible._

"_Do not question me," Voldemort replied, pulling his wand from beneath his robes. The other man continued to look up at him in fear._

"_No, please, my lord!" begged the man, shrinking as far away from Voldemort as possible._

"_I will give you one more chance. If you do not succeed, I will be forced give the task to one of my more... trusted followers."_

"_Thank you," said the man, looking extremely relieved. "You will not regret this." And with this, Buffy felt the image blurring around the edges, engulfing her in darkness before..._

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Buffy's eyes snapped open, and she blinked rapidly at the sudden brightness caused by the sunlight pouring in through the open curtains. Bringing her hand to her face to shield her eyes from the sun, Buffy glanced at the clock on her nightstand, and seeing that it was after ten o'clock, pushed the comforter off her body and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pushing herself off. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she reentered her room and opened the  
door to the sitting room, not bothering to change out of her tank top and pajama bottoms. Tiptoeing toward the portrait hole, smiling at the sight of Draco curled up in a little ball on the couch, giving him one last glance before stepping through. Swinging the portrait closed behind her, she made her way down to the entrance hall, only running into a few students on their way down to breakfast, as it was only nine o'clock on a Saturday morning.

"Morning, Snapey!" she greeted Snape, plopping down in the seat next to him once she reached the staff table.

"Miss Summers," he greeted with a sharp nod, sweeping his gaze over her outfit disapprovingly.  
Buffy gave him a bright smile before grabbing a roll from the plate in front of her and practically shoving into her mouth, almost bursting out laughing from the horrified look on her fellow professor's face. "What are..." he coughed to clear his throat, "what are your plans for today?"

"I don't-..." she started to answer, but was cut off when Harry appeared at the table. "Oh, hey, Harry! What's up?"

"Morning, Buffy." He paused, glancing over at Snape. "Professor."

"Potter," Snape spat with a glare, and Buffy rolled her eyes as their childness. "I was wondering," he continued, turning his gaze back to Buffy, "if we could talk..." he trailed off, looking nervous.

"Hm? Oh! Yeah! Sure, c'mon," answered Buffy, flashing him a quick smile before turning back to Snape. "Sorry, duty calls. I'll catch you later?" Snape nodded, and she smiled again, grabbing a bagel and a handful of bacon before standing up and following Harry out of the Great Hall and back up to her room.

"Good morning, Miss Buffy, Mister Potter."

"Morning, Charles," answered Buffy, giving him a small salute with the hand clutching the bacon she had taken from the table. "Slayer."

"Right you are, Miss!" Charles called before the portrait swung open, and Buffy and Harry were met face to face with Draco.

"Hey there, sunshine!" Buffy teased, taking in his mussed hair and sleep-clouded eyes. "Heading out already? Too bad, and we were having such a good time too," she teased playfully, giving him a bright smile.

"Going to go down for breakfast," he answered stiffly, not removing his eyes from Harry's. "I'll see you later, Buffy." He turned to her and gave her a small nod before turning back to Harry, his voice changing instantly from the gentle tone he had used to address Buffy. "Potter."

"Malfoy," Harry answered with an equal amount of venom dripping from his voice. Without another word, Draco brushed past them and headed down the hall, disappearing around a corner seconds later. Turning back to Harry, Buffy shrugged before stepping into the room and gesturing for him to follow her.

"What was he doing here?" Harry burst out the second the painting had swung shut, making her flinch slightly at the sudden loudness. Rolling her eyes exasperatedly, Buffy gestured for him to sit, but he refused, remaining standing with his hands clutched into fists at his sides. "Are you two... together? He's dangerous, Buffy! You know better than that! He could be here to kill you on orders from Voldemort!"

"Woah!" called Buffy, bringing her hands in front of her in a gesture of surrender, a hard thing to do with a bagel and bacon clutched in her hands. "Chill out, Mom. Sit." She gave him a look and he relented, sliding into the chair next to where she was sitting. Popping a small piece of bacon into her mouth, she continued. "Draco came to me for help with something." Harry opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him quickly. "Something that's going to stay between me and Draco?" He looked ready to object once again but remained silent. "It got late and I didn't want him to walk back to his room and get caught by one of those little goody two-shoes that go around writing people up for being out after curfew."

"But-..."

"That's all that happened." She gave him a look to show him that she didn't want to talk about Draco any more. "Now, what's up with you?"

"I... uh..." He shook his head quickly to get his brain on track before continuing. "What happened when you told Dumbledore what I saw?" Buffy had been expecting this question since she had looked up to see Harry in front of her in the Great Hall.

"Nothing much," she said with a sigh. "There's not a lot we can do about that right now. I told Dumbledore, and he said he'd ask Snape to she what our big bad is up to."

"But how do you know that Snape-..."

"Just because Snape's a vampire wannabe in desperate need of a shower and shampoo," interrupted Buffy with a smile and a bite of her bagel, "doesn't mean that he's not a good guy. Remember that. People might just surprise you."

"But..." Harry started but quickly shut up. "Erm, Buffy? Would you like to..."

"To what?" Buffy asked curiously at the pause, tilting her head to the side and wrinkling her nose slightly.

"GotoHogsmeadewithme," he blurted out, taking her by surprise.

"Go to Hogsmeade with you?" she repeated, wanting to make sure that she had heard him right. Looking at him, she noticed that he seemed more pale and figity than usual, and she gave him a concerned look.

"And Ron and Hermione," he continued quickly, and Buffy felt a slight wave of disappointment was over her. 'Crap,' she swore to herself. 'What if he thought that look meant 'no, I don't want to go on a date with you?'' But she quickly snapped back into Slayer remembering her dream. Hogsmeade would be the perfect place to kidnap or hurt Harry since he wasn't being watched by Dumbledore.

"Yeah, sure! First field trip's today, isn't it?" she asked brightly in an attempt to disguise her disappointment, and he nodded, looking relieved that she had said that she would go.

"Yeah," he answered, smiling. "The carriages leave at 11 o'clock."

"Alright, lemme just get cleaned up and changed, and I'll meet you in the great hall at like... ten-fifty?" He nodded and got up to leave. "Alright, nifty. I'll see you then. See ya." With a wave, he walked to the door and exited through it, leaving Buffy sitting alone on the couch. Finishing her bagel and handful of bacon, she looked at the clock on the side table, seeing that it was already ten o'clock.

Pushing herself up, she made her way through her bedroom to her bathroom and turning on the shower before stripping her clothes from her body and stepping into the tub. Soaping up her body and shampooing her hair, she let the warm water run over her skin for a few minutes before turning off the water and stepping out. Wrapping her body in a large fluffy towel and her hair in a smaller one, she walked over to the sink, whipping the condensation off of the mirror with her hand. Flipping her head forward, she rubbed her hair through the towel, extracting as much  
moisture as possible. Putting the wet towel aside, Buffy grabbed a brush laying by the mirror above the sink, working it through her tangled hair until it was smooth and silky. Satisfied, she entered her room and stopped in front of wardrobe, pulling out a pair of dark jeans, a black long sleeve shirt, and her favorite black leather jacket, changing into them before pulling on a pair of  
black boots. Grabbing a stake an her wand from the dresser, she slid one up each sleeve before picking up a small coin purse and sliding it into her jacket pocket. Wrapping a scarf around her neck and taking one last glance around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything, she exited her suite and made her way down to the entrance hall to wait for her friends.

"Ah, Buffy," Giles greeted with a small smile when he saw Buffy walking down the stairs to the entrance hall. "I was wondering if you would like to spend the day training. We have fallen behind since both of our schedules have been so hectic..."

"Sorry, Giles," answered Buffy, giving him an apologetic smile. As much as I'd like to spend some quality time with my favorite Watcher, I already have plans for today. I'm playing bodyguard to the trio." She nodded her head at the staircase in greeting at Hermione's wave. Giles turned toward them and gave a small nod of his own. "The kid gets in more trouble than I ever did." Giles gave her a look. "Okay... almost as much trouble. Thought I'd tag alone to make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

"I'm sure that's the only reason why you accepted his offer to join him," Giles said with a smile, and Buffy brought her hand to her mouth in mock horror.

"Why, Giles!" she said, looking scandalized. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Of course not," he teased, laughing. "Well, I'll see you tonight then?"

"Yep, have a fun day cooped up inside with all of those musty books." He gave her a fond smile before turning and heading up the stairs, greeting the three Gryffindors who were making their way toward Buffy.

"Hi, Buffy!" They chorused, and she gave them each a smile in response.

"I'm so glad that you decided to come with us!" said Hermione, giving her friend a hug. The two boys nodded in agreement.

"I figured I'd tag along to make sure you three don't get into any trouble," she answered, as they walked out the doors, stopping in front of a thestral-pulled carriage. The large horse-like creature turned its head when Buffy approached, and she gave its head an affectionate pat before climbing into the carriage behind Ron. After a short ride, they pulled to a stop and all clambered out, Buffy and Hermione linking arms and walking toward the shops with Harry and Ron trailing after them. "So, where to first?" she asked, craning her head to look at all the shops. The four agreed to visit Honeydukes, and they made their way to the shop, talking and laughing amongst themselves. About half an hour later, the four friends reemerged, each carrying bags filled with candies, their pockets and coin purses much emptier than when they had entered the store.

"Yeah, not such a good idea to go in there when you're hungry," Buffy laughed looking over her shoulder at her friends. However, her jovial mood didn't last long, as a second later, a loud, shrieking cry sounded through the air, causing her to whip around toward the sound.

"Crucio!"

Buffy gasped as the sensation of a thousand white-hot knives piercing her skin assaulted her body, and she fell to the floor, her bag of Honeydukes sweets tumbling from her arms. She was no stranger to pain, but this was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears and her nails digging into her palms in pain, but she refused to scream, to show her weakness. All she could do was wait for it to stop. After what seemed like hours, but in actuality was probably just a few seconds, the pain stopped and she went limp, her body sprawled out in the dirt, panting for breath. Regaining her composure, Buffy refocused her gaze and found herself staring up into the dark eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange. 

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Well, that's it for now. I hate to leave you with a cliffie, but I felt like being mean. Just kidding, I just felt like this would be a good time to stop. Best case scenario, I'll get the next chapter out very soon, but it might take a couple of weeks depending on how hard finals kick my ass. Hope you enjoyed! Please leave me a review on your way out!


	18. A Confrontration with a Woman Scorned

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1! The line about walking over Bellatrix's corpse for free gum isn't mine. It's taken from the brilliant mind of Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars.

Sorry for taking so long to update! I've been more concentrated on my other fics, but after watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I was inspired to write a chapter of this... Hope it won't take as long to get the next chapter out!

Aria DeLoncray: Thanks for the review! Glad you're liking it!

Diamonds098: Glad you think it's brilliant! That's a huge compliment! I'm not quite sure what pairing it will be yet, but I'm open for suggestions!

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Which reminds me, keep casting your votes for Buffy/Harry, Buffy/Draco, Buffy/Angel, or Buffy/Spike! I'm pretty sure which one I'll be using, but I'd love to hear all of your opinions! Drop me a review letting me know!

Enough with my ramblings, on with the story!

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A humorless laugh tumbled from Buffy's mouth before her breath caught in her throat, causing her to duck her head as she started to cough, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground. Pushing herself up off of the dirt and to her feet, she looked Bellatrix straight in the eye, giving her a cocky smile.

"Come now, Bellatrix. Think I haven't felt pain before? Boy, you're in for a surprise." She laughed again, bringing her hand to her hair to tuck a loose strand behind her ear. Seeing Hermione, Harry, and Ron draw their wands from beneath their coats, she held up a hand without looking at them, gesturing for them to stand down.

"He may trust you, but I don't," snarled Bellatrix, her dark eyes glistening and her wand still pointed at Buffy's chest. "He will reward me once he finds out your true intentions." Buffy's gaze flickered to the trio.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Bellatrix narrowed her eyes and muttered something under her breath, sending a green beam toward Buffy. The blond jumped to the side the second it was fired, and it missed her by inches. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really want to do this on a crowded street, full of witches and wizards that would walk over your corpse for free gum?" Bellatrix looked at her, clearly confused, but Buffy smiled at her little joke none the less. Turning her head back toward Harry, Ron, and Hermione, she waved her hand again in an attempt to get them to step back, seeing that they hadn't obeyed her the first time. "Guys, get back."

"No! She killed Sirius!" Harry yelled, taking a step forward with his want pointed at Bellatrix's head, dodging Ron's arm as he tried to pull his best friend back. Buffy gave a relieved sigh as she heard that he had said the word "killed." She couldn't let Bellatrix, or Voldemort, know that Sirius was once again inhabiting the world of the living. "I'll kill her!"

"Ahhhh, cousin Sirius." Bellatrix let out a cackling laugh, her gaze flickering toward Harry. "He was weak. He was always weak. He was a disgrace to our family. Even before he died. That boy didn't deserve to die an honorable death. It was only fitting that I did it. Killed by his own cousin." She laughed, causing Harry to tighten his grip on his wand.

"Harry. Don't!" yelled Buffy, but before she could take so much as a step toward her friend, Bellatrix turned her wand on her.

"_Crucio_!" Once again, Buffy fell to her knees as pain coursed through her, leaving her panting and gasping for breath. Looking up, she saw that the brunette had already turned back to Harry. "Your precious Sirius all but begged me for his life. Filthy muggle lover. Just like your father," she spat, giving him a disdainful look.

"Shut up! Don't you dare talk about them like that!" he yelled, taking another step toward her. Hermione grabbed his arm in an attempt to calm him, but he snatched it back, continuing to stare at the woman that had killed his godfather. Buffy grimaced and stumbled to her feet, starting toward Harry, yelling at him to stop before he got himself killed.

"Dammit! Harry! Get back!" But it was too late, he had already made up his mind.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Bellatrix once again let loose a high-pitched laugh, easily flinging his spell aside with a wave of her wand.

"Silly boy, you think that _anything_ that you do will be able to harm me? _Crucio_!" Running at him full speed, Buffy tackled him to the ground, landing on top of him, shielding him from any harm and causing the curse to miss him by inches. "The Dark Lord may not want me to kill you, but he never said anything about playing a little first..."

"If you so much as touch him, I will kill you," snarled Buffy, getting to her feet and glaring at the brunette.

"Get aside, blondie," Bellatrix said in a low voice, waving her want to the side and sending Buffy crashing into a bunch of people behind her. She then turned her attention to Harry, pointing her wand at him and smiling. "You'd better learn some manners, Potter." But as her attention was concentrated on the brown-haired Gryffindor, Buffy scrambled to her feet and ran at her, throwing her to the ground mid-curse. This seemed to be exactly what Bellatrix was hoping for; the second she made contact, she felt the familiar feeling of all of the air rushing out of her lungs as she was apparated away from Hogsmeade and to some unknown location.

Landing on the hard ground with Bellatrix at her side, Buffy felt her lungs fill with air, causing her to gasp at the sudden change. Quickly coming to her senses, Buffy punched a still recovering brunette in the face before jumping to her feet. The taller woman took a few seconds to get up, but once she did, she set loose a series of curses that had Buffy ducking and dodging to avoid. Kicking off the wall for leverage, she lunged at Bellatrix, aiming a spinning kick at her head and sending her sprawling to the floor. Landing in a low fighting stance, Buffy grabbed her leg, letting out a grunt as she sent her crashing into a wall on the opposite side of the room. Bellatrix looked up at her through her wild hair and raised her wand, giving it a small swish and muttering something under her breath. The next thing she knew, Buffy was flying through the air, whacking her head against the corner of a table and landing face down on the floor, struggling to fight the blackness that threatened to obscure her vision. However, it was no use, and her head fell to the floor with a thump as she lost consciousness.

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Buffy opened her eyes, squinting through the darkness to try and figure out where she was. Looking around as her eyes adjusted to the dim candlelight, she saw that she was seated in the center of a small room with stone walls. There was a small metal table next to her with various instruments on top of it, and Buffy sighed in frustration. Feeling cold stickiness on the side of her face, she tried to raise her hand to her face to assess the extent of her wound, but she was unable to move her hand from her side. Glancing down, she noticed that both her hands and her legs were chained to a small chair, preventing her from escaping.

"Aw, dammit," she swore under her breath. Trying to break the chains, she swore again when they didn't budge, even under her Slayer strength. Apparently they were magically enhanced or something. Trying to tip over the chair, she groaned, as it refused to break as well. Her head snapped up as there was a loud clank and the metal door in front of her opened. Buffy sighed, clearly annoyed, and shook her head when Bellatrix walked through the door. "Well, there's my _lovely_ hostess," she said sarcastically, glaring slightly as the older woman swept toward her, her long black dress dragging on the ground behind her. "How're ya doing?"

"Slayer," Bellatrix greeted, narrowing her eyes at the girl's blatant disrespect. "You will learn to show respect toward your superiors."

"Actually, if I'm not mistaken, I _am_ your superior. Guess that means that Voldemort likes me better than you." She gave Bellatrix a condescending smile. "Looks like he's moved onto someone younger and hotter." Buffy smirked as she saw the fury flashing behind the brunette's eyes but winced as her head snapped to the side as a result of a hard slap to her face.

"Hold your tongue, child," Bellatrix snarled before stepping past her prisoner and picking up a long, slender knife off of the table. Buffy rolled her eyes exasperatedly and gave her a bored look.

"Please. A knife. Really?" She jerked her head in the direction of the knife. "Oh,_honey_, I'm no stranger to pain. You know that. Plus, I'm sure that your ex wouldn't be to happy if you killed me." Bellatrix curled her lip into a angry snarl and brought her hand back before swiping the knife at Buffy's face, leaving a small gash in it's wake. Buffy flinched slightly but showed no other indication that the wound stung slightly, not wanting to give the other woman the satisfaction. Smiling, Bellatrix shoved the knife into Buffy's jean-covered thigh, eliciting a loud gasp from the blond Slayer.

"Maybe not," ‒ she pressed the cool blade to Buffy's collar bone and traced it down, Buffy narrowing her eyes as she felt her tanned skin part beneath the knife, panting slightly from the pain in her leg ‒ "but that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun. Besides, what he doesn't know won't hurt him. It might hurt you, though." Grabbing Buffy's arm, she made a series of shallow cuts on her lower arm, and Buffy let out a short, emotionless laugh.

"I don't really get your plan here. If your master plan is to have me bleed to death, then you're well on your way. But what you're doing isn't hurting me." Bellatrix gave a dark smile before abandoning Buffy's arm and plunging the silver blade into her stomach, causing her to gasp once again and closed her eyes in pain.

"I don't have a plan, girl." She twisted the knife slightly, and Buffy clenched her teeth to prevent herself from crying out in pain. "I don't trust you. I know he does, but he will be ordering me to kill you once he finds out the truth." She wrenched the knife from Buffy's torso and slashed it across her chest, causing the Slayer to wince as the blood flowed freely from the wound, before dropping it back onto the table. Bellatrix smiled sadistically, watching as small droplets of blood slid off the blade, staining the white cloth beneath it.

"Is that it?" asked Buffy, panting slightly, trying not to move and knowing that she was in danger of bleeding to death. "Is that all you've got?" Bellatrix whirled around and wrapped her hand around Buffy's neck, her long fingernails cutting into the soft flesh of her neck, effectively cutting off her air supply. However, just before Buffy felt herself teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, she felt the hand let go of her neck, and her chin dropped to her chest as she drew in one ragged breath after another. Finally catching her breath, she looked up to see Bellatrix's wand pointed at her face. "Oh God, what now?"

"_Crucio_!" Buffy once again felt the now familiar feeling of several thousand, white hot knives piercing her skin, and bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming. Suddenly, the pain stopped, and Buffy turned her head to the side, spitting out a mouthful of blood before turning back and looking up at Bellatrix defiantly.

"All of this because you're jealous of little old me?" asked Buffy, smiling, showing the blood coating the front of her teeth. She spat out another mouthful before continuing in a mock-mothering tone. "I'm flattered, but you know violence doesn't solve anything. _Surely_ we can figure something else out."

"_Crucio_!" Buffy flung her head back, clenching her teeth together, as pain once again flooded through her body.

"Dammit, woman!" she shouted as the pain subsided, leaving her gasping and panting. "Learn a new spell, why don't you?"

"_Crucio_!" Buffy thrashed against the chains binding her, trying to get away, but only succeeding in digging them into her skin. "_Crucio_!" She started to shake as the pain became constant, not starting and stopping as it had before. "_Crucio_!" A loud, shrill scream ripped itself from her throat, but she barely heard it, unable to concentrate on anything but the searing pain. "_Crucio_!" She felt a large pulse of energy leave shoot out of her body, and the sensation of thousands of knives piercing her skin suddenly stopped. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Buffy looked up to see that Bellatrix had been sent flying into the opposite wall. Furrowing her brows in confusion, she tilted her head to the side, ignoring the blood dripping out of her mouth and down her chin.

"What the hell?" Did she do that? Without a wand? She continued to stare at Bellatrix, watching as she grabbed onto the wall for leverage.

"You little bitch!" Bellatrix snarled, picking herself up from the floor, wiping a small stream of blood from her forehead where she had smacked her head against the wall. She raised her wand so that it was pointed at Buffy's head. The Slayer did nothing and continued to stare at the older woman with a blank expression. "I don't know how you did that, but-..." She was cut off as the metal door creaked open, revealing the tall, pale figure of Lord Voldemort.

"That's enough!" he yelled in his high pitched voice, waving his hand and causing Bellatrix's wand to fly across the room. "Get out."

"But my lord," she pleaded softly, "I-..."

"Out." She seemed to sense the finality in his tone of voice because she swept out of the room, giving Buffy a glare before disappearing around the corner. "Buffy." He appeared at her side, the chains dropping to the ground and freeing her as he waved a hand in their direction. Standing up, Buffy stumbled, both because of the the loss of blood and the wound in her thigh, and she felt a pair of strong arms grab her and hold her up.

'Ew, ew, ew,' she thought to herself, but quickly closed off her mind, not wanting Voldemort to find out any of her secrets, knowing that she had to keep him out even though she was seriously wounded. He led her up a flight, supporting most of her wait, and Buffy realized that she had been in the basement, or dungeon, of the Malfoy Manor.

"My lord!" Buffy looked up to see Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy running toward them, both looking confused at what was happening. "What happened?" asked Lucius. Narcissa rushed to Buffy's side, taking her away from Voldemort, and Buffy inwardly cocked an eyebrow, wondering what bizzaro world she had fallen into to have Death Eaters helping her. "We heard screaming. Bellatrix ran up from the basement. She ran to her room. Wouldn't tell us what had happened." The pretty blond led Buffy to the dining room, setting her down in one of the plush chairs and fussing over he wounds. Buffy gently pushed her away, wanting to know what Voldemort would tell them.

"It seems that Bellatrix has been abusing the newest member of our family." His eyes flashed angrily for a second before settling on Buffy, giving her a soft smile, a terrifying sight in Buffy's opinion. He didn't say anything more about the incident, but quickly moved on. "Narcissa. Please make up a room for our guest. She'll be staying the night."

"Uh, my lord?" Buffy asked softly, and he turned to look at her. "I should probably be getting back from Hogwarts." She felt her strength waning due to blood loss, but she ignored it, wanting to get back to the castle as soon as possible. "If I stay the night, they'll probably get worried and send a search party out for me or something." He continued to look at her but didn't say anything. "I don't want them to suspect that anything's up." After a moment, he nodded, seeming to buy her suggestion.

"Of course. We wouldn't want Dumbledore to find out about our... arrangement." He gave her a small bow, Buffy let out a small gasp at this, as it was completely unheard of for him to show respect to anyone. What the hell was going on. If he actually had a thing for her, ew. If he was just doing it to make her lower her guard, she was going to kick his ass. She looked up, seeing that Lucius and Narcissa were giving him a curious look as well. Walking over to her, he helped her out of the chair, pointing his wand toward a fresh rose in a vase on the table. "_Portus_." The rose glowed blue for a second before returning to its natural state. "Send us word of your condition as soon as possible?" Buffy was once again surprised by his concern for her but tried not to let it show. Narcissa handed Buffy the wand Bellatrix had taken from her, and the Slayer gave her a soft smile, nodding in gratitude.

"Of course." She took the offered rose and let go of Voldemort's hand, grabbing onto the table next to her to keep her balance. A second later, Buffy felt the familiar sensation of a hood behind her navel, and the room and its occupants disappeared in a blur, sending her hurtling through space. Closing her eyes to quell the nausea bubbling up inside of her, she reopened her eyes a second before her feet landed on the ground, the pressure on her injured thigh sending her tumbling to the ground.

Wincing as the gravel below her scrapped against her already existing wounds, as well as causing a few fresh cuts and scrapes, she made no move to get up, about to pass out at any moment. However, thoughts of Harry and his safety bombarded her, and she stumbled to her feet, needing to get to him, needing to see if he was okay. Dropping the rose she had been clutching in her hand to the ground, she turned toward the castle, staggering slightly as her leg started to give out. Pushing the intense pain of her wounds and the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse, she sprinted up the path toward the castle, bringing a hand to her mouth to wipe some of the blood away. Taking the front steps two at a time, she wrenched the front door open, pushing various students out of her way as she made her way toward the Gryffindor common room. Forgetting about the vanishing step on one of the staircases, her left leg slipped into the vacant spot, and a small scream escaped her lips as the wounds to her thigh and her stomach smashed against the hard stone. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the banister for leverage, and pulled herself up, slipping slightly on the pool of blood she left behind. Quickly making her way up the remaining staircases, she skid to a halt in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, taking a moment to catch her breath before wheezing out the password.

"Aurora Borealis!" She stood hunched over, her hands on her knees as she tried to stay upright.

"Oh my! Dear, you look awful! What happened to you?" asked the Fat Lady, clearly concerned about the fact that she was bloody and barely-conscious.

"Aurora Borealis!" Buffy shouted again, getting impatient, and the Fat Lady gave her a look before swinging forward to reveal the Gryffindor common room. Stumbling forward, Buffy scrambled through the portrait hole, stopping as the entire room turned to look at her, some of the girls screaming as they took in her appearance. A few boys rushed forward to help her, but she pushed them away, looking around wildly for Harry. "Harry!" she saw someone run up the staircase to the boy's dorm, and a few seconds later, he appeared, running toward her as soon as he saw her.

"Buffy!" As soon as he reached her side, her legs collapsed beneath her, and she toppled to the floor. He wrapped his arms around his waist and stopped her before she hit the ground, dropping to his knees and gently lowering her down onto the carpet. "Buffy, what happened?"

"Are you... are you okay?" she managed, bringing a hand to his face to cup his cheek. His eyes widened as he took in her various wounds and blood-soaked clothes, yelling at Ron to get Dumbledore. "Harry..."

"I'm fine," he said, holding her to him so that her rested against his shoulder, her legs curled up underneath her. "What happened?"

"Bellatrix... she... didn't hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine." He used one of his hands to tip her head toward him, his brilliant green eyes locking with hers, blatant concern showing behind them.

"Good..." with that, she let herself succumb to the pain. He was safe. They didn't take him. Unable to keep her focus on his face any longer, Buffy felt her head slide further down his chest and closed her eyes, welcoming the darkness that swiftly overtook her.

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Sorry it took so long to post this, but I'm pretty happy with it, even though I didn't cover a lot of time at all. If you like it, drop me a review to give me encouragement. If you didn't, drop me a review to provide some constructive criticism! Either way, any feedback is greatly appreciated!

I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible! Hopefully before the end of Winter Break so that you don't have to wait that long. )


	19. Choosing Between a Vampire and a Wizard

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Dear God. It's been a long time since I've updated. My muse sort of lost interest with this story and has been wanting to write my Buffy/Dean fic instead. To add insult to injury, school's been sort of sucktastic lately, and the new boy in my life is eating up a lot of my time. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it keeps me from writing fanfiction for all of you wonderful people!

I've decided on the pairing I'll be using, and you'll be seeing it blossom within the next few chapters!

Thanks to PrInCeSsFBi, cRiMsOnGoDdEsS01, iamkagomeiloveinuyasha, BuffyGirl07, and urangel for your WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I'm so glad you're liking my story and the direction where I'm heading!

Anyways, enough of me talking, on with the show!

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Buffy cracked open and eye and immediately shut it again, wincing as the bright sunlight shining through the uncovered window assaulted her retinas. After a few seconds, she opened both eyes cautiously and shot upright as she took in the unfamiliar setting. The bed in which she was laying was intricately carved out of a dark, polished wood, and was located in the center of the room against the wall. The silk sheets were a bright emerald green, and looking up, she saw that the hangings around the bed were made of the same material. A matching nightstand, bureau, chest of drawers, and desk were scattered around the edges of the room, and the walls and floor were made out of the same polished wood. A large, curtain-lined bay window took up of the wall to her right, and she could see a vast landscape filled with gardens and fountains through it. Various paintings depicting Victorian-era scenes lined the walls, and on every surface rested a crystal vase filled with blood red roses. There were two doors in the room, one which she assumed led out into the hallway and the other into an adjoining bathroom. She had never seen a room like this at Hogwarts.

"Crap," she muttered to herself, impressed with the beauty of the room despite the fact that she had no idea where she was. "This can't be good." Her Slayer senses tingled, detecting the presence of magic, and she frowned, wondering if a spell had been put on the room to keep her from escaping. She tried, and failed, to apparate, but this could simply be because she had never attempted it before. Pushing the covers aside, wincing slightly as the tightness in her thigh and stomach made itself known. Looking down, she frowned when she noticed that she was dressed in a long, black silk nightgown, wondering who dressed her, but she quickly pushed that thought aside, deciding that she really didn't want to know. Lifting the hem of the nightgown so that she could inspect her wounds, she saw that the gash in her thigh was almost completely healed. There was a thin white line showing where the knife had pierced her skin, and the area was a bit redder than usual, but other than that, it looked completely fine. She assumed that the cut to her her torso was almost healed as well. Judging by the condition of her wounds, she estimated that she had been out at least two or three days. There were a few healing bruises on her arms and face, but like her other wounds, they were almost gone. She spotted a set of clothes on the dresser and walked over to them, holding them up and seeing that they were her size. Quickly, she let the silk nightgown fall to the floor and pulled on the jeans and white t-shirt, looking into the mirror and admiring how her hair looked and felt perfectly clean and slightly curled even though she had been unconscious for three days. Dropping to the floor, she pulled on the pair of socks that was placed on top of the dresser and a pair of black, high-heeled boots before standing up and seeing her wand on the bedside table. Grabbing it and shoving it into the waistband of her jeans, she made her way to the door and tiptoed out, not wanting to alert anyone to the fact that she had woken up. Emerging into a dimly lit hallway, Buffy stood there for a minute, deciding which way to go, until her Slayer senses gave a particularly large twinge. Dropping into a fighting stance, she immediately relaxed when she saw her former enemy turned ally turned enemy round the corner. Damn. So much for sneaking out without anyone noticing.

"Hey there, Goldilocks." Buffy gave an annoyed sigh and pinned him with a glare.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, giving him a disgusted look.

"What? All out of witty comebacks, Slayer?" he teased, curling his tongue to the roof of his mouth and looking at her in a way that made her want to cover herself with her hands. She managed to resist and cocked her hip to the side, placing a hand on it.

"I _said_, what are you doing here?"

"Now now, pet, is that any way to greet a mortal enemy?" He paused for a second, bringing his finger to his mouth in mock concentration before dropping it to his side and smirking. "Actually, I guess it is..." She raised an eyebrow, clearly impatient, and he raised his hands out in front of him in a gesture of surrender. "No need to get huffy. Looks like we have the same boss now." Buffy groaned, knowing that he was talking about Voldemort.

"Great."

"Though, I must say. Never pegged you as the type that would be the big bad's bitch." He took a step toward her and reached out to touch her blond hair, and making her jerk backwards. "If I didn't know better, I'd have guessed you were lying..." Slapping his hand out of her personal bubble, she sidestepped him and made her way to the stairs, letting out an annoyed growl when he turned and followed her. "Ooooh, you are, aren't you? Lying to old Voldy to save that Potter boy." Buffy twirled around to see him smirking at her, looking positively giddy, and she narrowed her eyes and threw her fist at his face, feeling infinitely better as a loud _crunch_ echoed through the stairwell. "Ow! You bitch!"

"Oops!" she said, giving him an apologetic smile before turning her back on him and heading down the remaining stairs. Emerging into a dimly lit hallway lined with creepy looking moving portraits, Buffy sighed, knowing that she was in the Malfoy Mannor.

"My Lord, are you _sure_ that it was wise bringing the girl here?" Staying close to the wall, Buffy crept toward the voice, peeking her head around the corner of the dining room and seeing Voldemort, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix, and Angel. Voldemort, Lucius, Narcissa, and Bellatrix were all seated at the table, with Voldemort at the head, but Angel was casually leaning against the back wall, his posture absolutely screaming the arrogance and cockiness. Looking over at Bellatrix, Buffy saw that she looked slightly worse for the wear: She had various cuts on her arms and face and was pouting slightly, much like a child who had been punished for stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. Buffy smiled smugly. It seemed as if Voldemort had punished the brunette for torturing her. Angel's eyes snapped up to meet hers, and the emotionless cold that was concealing his soul flickered slightly, but he made no other move to acknowledge her presence.

"Lucius," said the high-pitched voice of Lord Voldemort. "I brought Miss Summers here to ensure that Dumbledore would not discover her true intentions. Keeping her safe is of the utmost priority, do you understand?" Buffy cocked an eyebrow that this. Apparently her occlumency skills were now good enough to block people from her mind even when she was unconscious.

"Yes, my Lord," conceded Malfoy, bowing his head to his chest in a sign of respect.

"And you are never to question my judgment or any decision I may make. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Lord." Buffy heard someone descending the stairs and whipped her head around, wincing as her neck cracked. Knowing that it was Spike, she stepped into the dining room, wanting to make her presence known before the annoying beached blond outed her. All eyes turned toward her, and she stood up a little straighter, noticing the furious gleam in Bellatrix's eyes. Angel pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and looking into her eyes, silently asking if she was alright. She gave him a small nod and a smile before turning her attention toward an expectant Voldemort.

"Ah, Buffy," he greeted, gesturing toward the seat next to him. "Please. Join us." Buffy took a step forward, but hesitated, wanting to get back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. "What's wrong, my dear?" Suppressing a disgusted look at the term of endearment as Angel tightened his grip on her waist, Buffy forced a smile and shook her head.

"I think I should be getting back to Hogwarts. It's been what? Two... three days?" Voldemort nodded once before waiting for her to continue. "They'll probably suspect something if I'm gone for any longer..." Just then, Spike burst into the room, coming to a stop in the doorway and pinning Buffy with a glare. Angel dropped his arm to his side and clenched his jaw, clearly annoyed to see his grand-childe.

"William," said Voldemort, acknowledging his bloody nose with a raise of his non-existent eyebrow. "Is there a problem?" Spike opened his mouth, clearly about to tell him that Buffy had hit him, but closed it again at the Slayer's gloating smirk and Ange's glare. Narrowing his eyes, he turned back toward Voldemort, and shook his head. "Good." He turned back to Buffy and smiled, a smile that twisted and disfigured his already frightening features. "You make a good point. You are to go back to Hogwarts and inform Dumbledore that we kept you here against your will, is that clear?" She nodded and watched as his gaze settled on Angel. "Angelus. You will go with her. He doesn't know that you have formed an alliance with us, so I doubt he will suspect you of having anything to do with her disappearance. I expect you to keep her safe."

"Yes, my lord." Angel gave him a small nod before holding out his hand to Buffy, giving her a small smile when she entwined her fingers with his. Grabbing a small scrap of paper that lay forgotten atop the black lace tablecloth, Voldemort withdrew his wand from his robes and pointed it at the paper, muttering a quick "_portus_" and watching it emit a bright blue glow before returning to it's original state. Getting out of his chair, he walked over to the couple, pressing the piece of paper into Buffy's palm and looking into her eyes, bright red connecting with green.

"Be careful," Voldemort instructed almost endearingly before stepping back and waving his hand, indicating for them to go. Giving him another nod, Buffy turned to Spike, giving him a wink before she disappeared from the room, feeling her her lungs compress and expand before her feet slammed into the ground and her knees buckled, sending her tumbling toward the gravel beneath her feet. Closing her eyes and reaching her arms out in front of her to break her fall, she cracked open an eye when she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist. Opening the other eye and glancing up, she saw Angel looking down at her with a soft smile and her breath caught in her throat as she tried to wrap her brain around the fact that he was standing with her in direct sunlight. As the golden rays played over his skin and illuminated his features, she continued to stare at him. She had never seen him look more beautiful. Thank God for the Gem of Amara and Spike and his stupidity.

"Thanks." She whispered, unable to tear her eyes from his chocolate brown ones as a rush of emotion flowed through her body. She felt like she was fifteen again, seeing him for the very first time. His breath tickled the flushed skin of her cheek, and she ripped her gaze away from his, pulling away and trying not to notice how his hand lingered on her waist before letting go. Finally noticing how cold it was, as winter was rapidly approaching, she shivered involuntarily, and Angel gave her a concerned look.

"Here." He stripped off his black leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, giving her a smile when she gave him an appreciative look. "C'mon lets get you inside." Placing a strong hand on her lower back, he led her toward the castle and through the doors into the entrance hall and closed the doors behind her, cutting off the frigid wind and trapping the cold weather outside. The two made their way up the stairs in silence, Buffy trying to remain impassive as she stared at his hand wrapped around her much smaller one. Hearing a small _pop_, she looked up to see Peeves, the castle's resident poltergeist hovering above them, holding a water balloon in each hand. Not seeing that she had noticed him, he chucked one of them at them, and Buffy quickly snatched it out of the air before it hit Angel's face. Seeing this, Peeves' eyes widened, and he floated lower, taking the water balloon from her outstretched hand and regarding her raised eyebrow with an expression of mild guilt.

"Peeves," she scolded gently, giving him an amused smile that made him blush. She had found out that he had a little crush on her several weeks ago, and had used that fact to her advantage, gradually weaning him off practical jokes, unless she approved of them of course. "Play nice. Go find Snapey and drop these on him, alright?" Her smile widened as he stood up straight, quite a feat as he was floating in mid air, and gave her a mock salute.

"Right away, Miss Buffy!" With that he zoomed off, leaving Buffy to giggle at the image of Snape drenched and annoyed and Angel to smile at his former love's amusement.

"He really seems to have taking a liking you," he pointed out, and she laughed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, sorry about that." She gave him a smile and continued her climb, feeling him fall into step with her almost instantly. "Guess he's just jealous of you." She started to head in the direction of her room, wanting to take a shower and change into her own clothes, but half way there, she changed her mind. "I should probably go find Giles and let him know that I'm not lying dead in a ditch somewhere, shouldn't I?"

"That would probably be a good idea," he said with an amused smile before his features turned serious. She gave him a concerned look at his abrupt change in mood, but he squeezed her hand to let her know that everything was fine. "Voldemort just wants me to a bit of recon. Nothing to worry about." But she wasn't convinced.

"I don't want you to go," she said with a frown, images of him dead, or worse flooding her mind. "You could get killed." He gave her a soft smile and reached out a hand to brush a stray strand of blond hair out of her face and affectionately tuck it behind her ear.

"It's not any more dangerous than what you're doing."

"Yeah," she sighed, but continued to worry. "But still..."

"Don't worry about me," he whispered, his hand trailing down to cup her cheek. "I'll be fine." The continued to stare into each other's eyes for a few more minutes before Buffy cleared her throat and pulled away.

"Alright. Be careful." Giving one last glance, she descended a flight of stairs and headed down the corridor toward the library, knowing exactly where her Watcher and mentor would be. Not seeing Madame Prince at the check-out desk, Buffy walked straight to the Restricted Section, and smiled when she saw him sitting at a large, polished wooden table in between two of the stacks.

"Giles!" she called, watching amusedly as his gaze snapped in her direction, and he nearly dropped the dusty old book he was looking over. Haphazardly tossing it onto the table, causing it to emit a large plume of dust, he rushed over to her and swept her up into a hug before holding her out at arms length to assess any damages.

"Thank God you're alright." Seemingly satisfied with her state, Buffy's former Watcher led her to the large wooden table and practically shoved her down into one of the chairs. "Where on earth have you been? I've been worried sick!" Dropping down in the chair next to her, Giles kept his eyes on her, frowning slightly at the various bruises that littered her arms and face. "We all were. We looked for you for days." Buffy sighed and leaned back in the chair, stretching out her hand to absently flip through a book sitting on the table.

"The big bad had me," she started, barely paying attention to his reaction. "Said that he wasn't going to leave me in Dumbledore's care. That he didn't trust him with my life."

"Voldemort showed concern for your well being?" Giles asked quizzically, furrowing his brow in confusion and plucking the glasses off of the bridge of his nose to clean him with the cloth he kept in his pocket. Buffy smiled at the familiar gesture.

"Yeah, it's so weird." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "He speaks to me in a much kinder voice than everyone else. And Bellatrix gets all jealous when he touches me... Bleh." A ghost of a smile appeared on her Watcher's face at her expression, but he quickly covered it with a concerned look.

"It worries me how involved you are getting with him. It means that you'll be in greater danger if he finds out where your true loyalties lie."

"I know," Buffy said, sighing. "But it's too late now. He trusts me, and I can't very well pull out now. We need someone on the inside. Someone that he can trust and tell stuff he wouldn't to Snape or Angel." The two sat in silence for a few moments, pondering this, until Buffy got impatient and started fidgeting, the built up energy from her coma buzzing through her. "I gotta get out of here. It's too quiet." Giles stood up with her and walked her to the entrance of the library, stopping when they reached the door. "Pass the word on that I'm back?" He nodded. "Where's Harry? I want to go see him and show him that I'm not lying dead in a ditch somewhere."

"He's probably in the infirmary," he answered, giving her a knowing look that she choose to ignore. "He's been by his godfather's side since you disappeared. Took your place in waiting for him to awaken."

"Alright, thanks." With one last smile, she was gone, making her way down three flights of stairs and several corridors, finally finding herself standing in front of the plain white doors that led to the school's infirmary. Turning the large brass knob and peeking her head in, Buffy saw Madame Pomfrey occupied with another patient, a young blond girl, and practically sprinted in the direction of Sirius' private room, not wanting to be seen. She was perfectly fine and didn't feel like having a couple of dozen potions shoved down her throat, something that would inevitably happen if the mediwitch caught sight of her. Slithering through the small crack in the door she made, she stepped into the dimly lit room, watching as the dark-haired figure occupying her usual seat next to Sirius' bed whirled around at the sound of the door closing, his expression quickly changing from surprise to relief.

"Buffy," Harry greeted, crossing the room in a few steps and wrapping her petite form up in a hug. "Thank God you're alright. I was so worried about you." The next thing she knew, he had wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and his pressed his lips to hers, eliciting a small gasp of surprise from the blond Slayer. It was a quick, chaste kiss, and his lips were gone from hers just as quickly as he had pressed them together.

"I, um..." she started but trailed off, not knowing what to say. Instead, she pulled back from his embrace and shyly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Suddenly, the sound of a throat being cleared echoed through the room, and the two teenagers turned their heads in the direction of the bed only to see the man previously-unconscious man sitting up in bed and staring at them.

"Who are you?" he asked, his eyes trained on Buffy and his voice gruff from lack of use. "And why are you kissing my godson?"

--

I am aware this chapter is extremely short and doesn't really do anything for the plot, but I needed a little filler to kick my muse into gear. Hope you guys liked it! Drop me a review on your way out!


	20. The Chosen Two

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction! For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Alright, I'm getting really bored with this fic, so I've decided to move it along a bit. It's a bit more rushed than I would like it to be, but hey, I want to get it finished so that I can move onto bigger and better things!

Thanks so much to Fritolays, BuffyGirl07, lypsyl, PrInCeSsFBi, shmoo, suzieGeorge, and urangel for your wonderful reviews! I know that it's taking me a looooooooooong time to post these chapters, but I hope that you're still with me and continue to enjoy! I love you all!

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Buffy's brain sputtered, unable to process and formulate an answer to the question that had been asked when the man she had rescued and had been unconscious since she had met him was sitting up in his bed, staring at her.

"Sirius?" Harry said in shock, staring at his godfather for a second before rushing to his side.

"I'm going to go get Poppy and Albus," Buffy informed no one in particular before running out of the room, skidding to a halt in front of Madam Pomfrey's desk. "Poppy!" she greeted, watching as the small woman jumped in surprise at her sudden appearance. "Sirius is awake!"

"Oh my goodness," the woman exclaimed, her eyes widening. "We must inform Albus!"

"I'll get him," Buffy called over her shoulder, already half way out of the door, "make sure he's alright!" Without another look, she sprinted through the castle, down corridors and up staircases to the seventh floor, stopping when she reached the stone gargoyle at the entrance to the Headmaster's office. "Crap!" she swore, realizing that she had no idea what the password was. Knowing the Headmaster's love of sweets, trying to guess it could take hours. "Acid pop! Chocolate frog! Ice Mice! Pepper imps!" she shouted at the unmoving statue, spouting off every kind of wizarding candy she could remember. "Lemon Drops! Jelly Slugs! Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! Treacle tart!" At the last password she tried, the statue jumped aside, revealing the winding stone staircase that led to the Dumbledore's office. Quickly making her way up the stairs, she burst into the room without knocking, coming to a complete halt when she saw who was sitting across the desk from the Headmaster, looking at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Miss Summers?" Dumbledore greeted, his gaze flicking to his guest before returning his attention to her, wordlessly telling her not to make a scene.

"Oh, I'm sorry Professor," she apologized, composing herself and calmly walking over to the two and fixing the other man with a polite smile.

"Miss Summers," he greeted, standing and taking her hand in his, placing a chaste kiss to the back of it before letting it go. He looked her up and down appreciatively, taking in her jeans and tight t-shirt, and Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was playing at. "Lucius Malfoy." He turned back to Dumbledore. "I urge you to reconsider my offer. Miss Summers." With one last look at her, he was gone in a flash of long blond hair and black fabric, leaving the Slayer staring in his wake.

"What was that all about?" she inquired, plopping down in the chair across from the Headmaster, all thoughts of why she had come to him in the first place having flown out the window the second she saw Lucius.

"Mr. Malfoy came baring an offer from Voldemort," he answered, looking at her over his half-moon spectacles. "That it was our last chance to hand over Mr. Potter before they came and took him by force."

"Since when has Voldy been the diplomatic type?" she asked, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "He's always been a kill first, ask questions later kinda guy."

"Right you are, my dear," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair and touching the tips of his fingers together, "but I believe he's trying to negotiate for your safety."

"My... safety?"

"Indeed. You are a great asset to him, and I believe he has developed somewhat of an..." he paused, searching for the right words, "...emotional attachment to you. From what you have told me, he seems to have a great respect for you, something that is completely unheard of. Voldemort trusts no one and there have been no recorded cases of him regarding anyone as an equal."

"Voldemort thinks of me as his equal?" she repeated dumbfoundly, unable to wrap her brain around this particular fact. "And he's... in love with me?" 'Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew.' She made a disgusted face, watching as the Headmaster smiled at her in amusement before his features returned to a serious facade.

"Not love, per say," he answered, trying to lay it out simply for her. "I believe that Voldemort is incapable of love after all that he has done, though yes, I do think that he cares for you a great deal."

"What the fu-..." she started, but was interrupted when the large wooden door behind her swung open and her former enemy sauntered in. In the blink of an eye, she was on the other side of the room, a hand around his throat keeping him pinned to the wall and the stake from her boot pressed against his chest so hard that it nearly broke the skin. "What now, Spike," her teeth clenched in an effort not to shove the stake in her hand into his heart.

"Now, now, pet," he greeted, holding his hands out to his sides in a gesture of surrender. "No need to get testy. I come baring presents. Albus," he continued, giving the Headmaster a curt nod.

"William," Dumbledore greeted with a nod of his own. Buffy's eyes widened and she looked over her shoulder at the man in shock, wondering what the hell was going on. "It's been a long time."

"You know each other?" she asked, not releasing her grip around the Spike's neck. Spotting the fresh bruise on the bridge of his nose, she smirked, content with the fact that she had been the one to put it there.

"I had the... pleasure of meeting William at the Leaky Cauldron many years ago," Dumbledore answered, keeping his eyes trained on the vampire. "He was quite distraught over the fact that his sire – Drusilla, was it? – had run off with Angelus."

"Never have been able to hold on to her, huh Spikey?" Buffy taunted, smiling at him innocently. He growled and made to lunge for her, but she pressed the stake harder into his chest, breaking the skin and causing a couple droplets of blood to seep from the wound. "What do you want?" she asked, the Slayer in her snapping back to business.

"Oi, you mind backing off a bit there, Goldilocks?" he asked, his eyes flicking down to where her hand was wrapped around his throat. Giving him a warning look, she snatched her hands back and replaced the stake in her boot before turning her back on him and walking back over to Dumbedore's desk. Once again dropping into the seat across for him, she waited for Spike to continue, watching as he sat down next to her.

"Voldemort's sending in someone to nab the kid," he informed them.

"Harry?" she asked, perking up at this. "Who?"

"The other Slayer," he supplied and Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "Fine looking bird... Brown hair, bloody amazing rack... Has a bit of meat on her bones. You could learn quite a bit from her, Slayer."

"Faith?" she questioned softly, wondering why she hadn't been informed of this. He nodded. If the other Slayer hadn't contacted her before sighing on with Voldemort, that meant... "Fuck!" she screamed and jumped up, causing Spike and Dumbledore to look at her in surprise. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She started to pace, feeling both sets of eyes on her.

"Miss Summers..."

"Now he has a Slayer on his side!" she yelled more to herself than to either of them. "_Actually_ on his side! I should have known... She's always been drawn to the power... _Enjoyed _it... It was only a matter of time before she went completely off the deep end!" She stopped suddenly, a familiar tingling in the pit of her stomach causing her heart to drop. She could feel it clear as day, even over all of the magical energy that the castle was giving off. She could only feel one person this clearly. "Shit, she's here!" she informed them before running out of the room and down the stone steps to the main corridor, shoving her way through a group of students and sprinting to the hospital wing, bursting through the doors and finding it in perfect condition. She stopped so suddenly that Spike, who had apparently followed her, slammed into her, sending her pitching forward. Letting out a surprised yelp, she gasped as he grabbed her waist, catching her before she could fall face first onto the carpet and set her back on her feet. Giving him an odd look, she walked further into the room, making a beeline for Sirius' private room. Wrenching open the door, she spotted him slumped on the ground on the other side of the room, a small trickle of blood seeping from a gash on his forehead. Harry was nowhere to be found.

"Fuck!" she screamed, and in the blink of an eye, she was standing about ten feet in front of Voldemort with five wands pointed directly at her. Looking around, she saw that she was in the drawing room of the Malfoy mansion. He looked about as surprised to see her as she was. Briefly wondering how the hell she had managed to apparate out of Hogwarts, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and stalked forward a few steps, Voldemort gesturing for his followers to put their wands down. "Where is he?" she asked in a low voice, seeing him raise a non-existent eyebrow at her. Taking a deep breath to calm herself before she completely blew her cover and got herself killed, she closed her eyes, blocking her mind like Snape had taught her so that he couldn't see into it. "What happened?" she continued when she felt sufficiently calm. "I had it under control. I was going to get him for you. It just wasn't time yet."

"I have no doubt, my dear," Voldemort answered, taking her arm and leading her over to the couches, pushing her down onto one before seating himself at her side. "I simply thought that it would be best to have Faith collect him so that you maintain your cover. I still have many duties for you to fulfill, and for you to complete them, Dumbledore cannot have any idea that you are working for me. I know that this happened a bit sooner than we had anticipated, but I wanted to strike when he would least expect it. I was just trying to keep you safe." He stretched out a pale, long-fingered hand and brushed a stray strand of blond hair away from her face, and it took all of her strength to smack it away before it could touch her. Her eyes filtered across the room, and all of its inhabitants looked completely shocked at what had just happened. It was completely unheard of for Voldemort to explain his actions to anyone. Usually, if anyone questioned his authority, they'd be faced with the dangerous end of his wand. But for some reason, here he was, explaining himself to a teenage girl. Turning her attention to Bellatrix, she saw that the older woman was absolutely livid, and smiled inwardly, sending a mental 'nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah' in her direction.

"Of course, My Lord," she said with a slight bow of her head. "I'm sorry I questioned you." She paused for a second, weighing her options and deciding the best way of getting Harry out of there without getting him, or herself, killed. "Can I see her?"

"As you wish," he replied with a soft smile, pointing his wand at the wooden paneling of the drawing room floor and opening a secret compartment to the cellar where Bellatrix had held her prisoner only a few days ago. With another subservient bow of her head, she stood and with one last glance at him, she descended the steep stone steps into a small room, seeing the object of her worry chained to the exact chair that she had been tied to.

"Hey, B!" Faith greeted from where she was holding a long, silver knife to Harry's bare chest. He already looked to be in pretty bad shape: there were various cuts littering the pale skin of his torso, his glasses were cracked and slightly askew, and there was a small trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Looking at his face, she saw the hurt and betrayal lurking behind his bright green eyes, and she extracted her wand from the waistband of her jeans and muttered '_imperturbatus_,' effectively creating a sound barrier so that she could speak freely without being heard from the drawing room. "I gotta say, I was surprised when I heard that you were working for old Voldy up there." She jerked her thumb in the direction of the door before once again lowering the blade to Harry's chest, causing him to wince in pain as his flesh parted beneath it. It took all her strength not to snatch the knife from her sister Slayer's hand, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Miss Little Goody Two Shoes? Working for the big bad? Color me surprised. But I guess it was inevitable." She turned away from Buffy, devoting all of her attention to the task at hand.

"What do you mean," Buffy gritted out between clenched teeth, her eyes still locked with Harry's. He was unusually quiet, the only sounds coming from his mouth being gasps and moans of pain, and that worried her.

"We're drawn to power, B," Faith answered. "And Voldy's got it all. We're Slayers. Why waste all the power we have inside us fighting the good fight when we're not gonna get anything out of it? But working for him... He can give us everything we ever wanted. Fame... glory... _more_. A better life. We're the Chosen Two, B. Don't you get that? Don't we deserve to have a little fun?"

"You bitch!" Harry screamed, causing both girls to jump in surprise. His eyes narrowed, and he continued to look at Buffy as if she was the most disgusting thing he had ever seen. "I trusted you! And all this time, you're working for him? What was your plan? To get close to me and then just hand me over to him?"

"Oooh," Faith cooed, dropping the knife to the ground and straddling him, taking his face in her hands. "Got yourself a little boy toy, huh, B? A little scrawny for my taste, but damn fine all the same." Her tongue darted out to lick the blood from his lip, and that's when Buffy snapped. Completely forgetting that she was a fully trained witch and could kill the bitch with one flick of her wand, she launched herself across the room, grabbing Faith by the back of her neck and wrenching her off of Harry's lap.

"Get off of him," she growled, easily flinging the younger girl across the room so that she smacked into the stone wall and landed in a heap on the floor. "If you ever touch him again, I'll kill you."

"I knew it was all an act," the brunette taunted, pushing herself up off of the floor and dropping into a fighting stance. "Little Miss Perfect would never join the dark side. Ya know, that's your problem, B. You think being the Slayer is about saving the world. It's not. It's about power. Maybe if you removed that stick from your ass, you'd see it. But I guess it's too late for that, isn't it?" She smirked, causing Buffy to narrow her eyes suspiciously. "Bring it on, I've been itching for a good fight." Without another word, the younger Slayer ran at her, sending a solid punch to her jaw that she easily blocked. Grabbing her outstretched hand, she once again threw her into the wall, watching as small pieces of stone flew off of it at the impact.

"That's _your_ problem, Faith," Buffy started. "Always rushing into things. Never taking the time to plan things out. Stratagize. That's why I'm going to win this." With a growl, the brunette launched herself at her sister, her punch once again being blocked, but this time executing a kick to Buffy's stomach, sending her flying across the room. Pushing herself to her feet, she brought her hand to the small cut on her forehead to check for damages before throwing herself back at Faith. For the next several minutes, the only sounds emanating from the room were punches and the slapping of flesh against flesh, but Buffy finally managing to pin the taller girl to the floor with her hand wrapped around her throat. "Ready to say uncle, Faith?"

"You don't know me at all, do you, B?" the other girl growled, grabbing the knife that she had previously using on Harry.

"Buffy, watch out!" he yelled, having come to the conclusion that she was on his side after all. But before she could react, Faith plunged the blade into her shoulder, causing her to scream in pain and let go of her. Kicking her off, the brunette grabbed the arm that had been wrapped around her neck and pulled her to a standing position, shattering it and making Buffy cry out once again.

"Dammit!" she swore, using her good hand to backhand Faith across the face and sending her sprawling to the ground. "I'm so tired of getting stabbed! What is with you people? A simple punch to the face isn't good enough?" Annoyed and sufficiently pissed off, she felt a rush of adrenaline course through her body and she brought her foot up, slamming the heel of her boot into the side of her sister Slayer's head, effectively rendering her unconscious and leaving a bleeding gash in its wake. "Ow, ow, ow," she muttered, wrapping her hand around the knife and pulling it from her shoulder with a fresh cry of pain. Cradling her broken hand to her body, she rushed to Harry's side, quickly inspecting him for damages. Nothing too serious. "You alright?" she asked, grabbing his chains and easily snapping them in half.

"Yeah..." He seemed transfixed by the wound that was pouring blood from her shoulder and grabbed his discarded t-shirt from the floor, pressing it to the wound to stem the bleeding and giving her a sympathetic look when she winced. "How are we going to get back?" Buffy thought, wondering if she handle apparating again.

"Hold on," she ordered, wrapping her good hand around his wrist. Closing her eyes and concentrating as hard as she could, she cleared her mind, thinking only of Hogwart's hospital wing. When she opened her eyes, the two of them were standing in the destination of her choice with a large crowd of people staring at them. Feeling a bit lightheaded from the loss of blood, she faltered slightly and Harry grabbed her, leading her to the nearest bed and setting her down on it.

"Merlin's beard," Dumbledore said, emerging from the crowd and appearing at her side. "What happened?"

"I think my cover's blown," the Slayer managed to answer before Madame Pomfrey rushed over to her, taking in her wounds and insisting that she needed to be tended to.

--

Alrighty, well that's the end of this chapter! I know things seem a bit rushed, but I want to finish up this little story in the next few chapters, so I felt like I had to get a move on it. Hope you liked it, and please drop me a review on the way out!


	21. Prophetic Dreams

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

Thanks to PrInCeSsFBi for your lovely review. I'm glad that I didn't drive you off with my long updating times! I hope that y'all are still with me and are still enjoying this fic! Please drop me a review on your way out. Reviews are my anti-drug.

--

_She was standing on a grassy slope looking off into a dark forest. She was carrying a scythe in one hand and her wand in the other, and her face was set in an expression of grim determination. Behind her stood a huge mass of people, the majority of them were wearing robes and holding what appeared to be wands, except for a small group dressed in muggle clothing, each clutching various weapons. It seemed as if time stood still; nothing could be heard but the whistling of the wind and the occasional hooting of owls in the distance as she waited with bated breath for what was about to happen._

_The moon was full, illuminating the vast grounds. A murmur could be heard throughout the crowd, and the blond raised her hand in a gesture signaling those behind her to remain in their positions. She lowered her hand and squinted into the darkness of the forest, as if trying to uncover anything hidden there._

"_You guys take out all the vamps and demons you can," the Slayer instructed her friends, and they nodded, each clutching their stakes and swords. "Leave the others to us. Stay out of the way of any spells, and stick with your partners." She had paired each of her non-magical friends, even Willow, with a member of the Order in case someone decided to turn his or her wand on them. They nodded again, already knowing the plan._

_Suddenly, a lone figure emerged from the darkness, dressed head to toe in black, flowing robes. Even from this far away, Buffy could see his pale skin and bright scarlet eyes. Voldemort. He stopped about 50 feet from the group standing on the hill and raised his arms. Instantly, over fifty wizards, also dressed in black robes, and almost 200 vampires and other various demons appeared from the forest and came to a halt behind their master. She could see her sisters Slayer and former friend and ally standing at his side, regarding her with absolute loathing. She stared right back before her gaze shifted back to the leader of the group. For what seemed like hours, no one moved. Almost simultaneously, the blond and the robed figure nodded their heads, each giving silent permission for the other to proceed._

"_NOW!" Buffy screamed, gripping her scythe so tightly that her knuckles turned white and launching herself down the hill toward the forest. At the same time, the robed figure raised his arm in a gesture to begin the assault. Both groups followed their leaders as screams filled the air, racing toward each other, casting curses and hurling weapons though the air._

--

Buffy awoke with a soft gasp, her gaze instantly settling on the figure lying next to her. It had been nearly two months since that fateful day when she had blown her her cover by rescuing Harry from Voldemort's, or rather Faith's, clutches. Since then, things had changed drastically.

The students of Hogwarts had been informed of her destiny, and traditional classes were halted in favor of lessons in self defense, both magical and physical, and advanced cursework. Even the younger students were being taught how to protect themselves and those around them on a daily basis. Buffy had abandoned her positions as co-professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts and Wandless Defense, leaving DADA to Lupin and Wandless Defense to Angel and Spike. Just like Buffy, Angel's cover had been blown when he had refused to kill the Slayer at Voldemort's command, and he was now a full-blown member of the Order of the Phoenix. Spike had once again joined the side of light, having given Buffy his "Happy Meals on legs" speech, and she once again saw that he was telling the truth. However, she was sure that once this was all over, they'd go back to being bitter enemies; it was just the way they worked. The Scoobies and Wesley had been brought to Hogwarts at Buffy's request and were proving to be very helpful in training the students as well as recruiting other wizards and witches for their cause. She had taken on the role of leader, and people followed her orders like they would Dumbledore's. Almost every day she called meetings with the Order to learn of their progress in finding people, as well as demons and other creatures, to join their side and their ability to sway their loyalties away from Voldemort. She had stepped up her magical training, all of the professors, as well as members of the Order going out of their way to teach her all that they knew. She was nowhere near Dumbeldore or Volemort's level, but after training twenty-four seven for the last two months, she was getting pretty damn good. Lastly, after almost loosing him once, the blond had absolutely refused to let Harry out of her sight, leaving his side only when she had to meet with the Order or the Ministry, and even then, she sent a member of the Order or the Hogwarts staff to keep an eye on him.

Which is why he was he was lying next to her, his face buried in a pillow, snoring slightly with his mouth open. Per usual, they had each fallen asleep on their own sides of her bed, but sometime in the night, they had managed to scooch closer together. Now, they were lying face to face, their noses almost touching, and he had his arm slung low over her waist. His soft breath tickled at her lips, and she smiled. Nothing else had happened between them since their one and only kiss in Sirius' room, but Buffy felt herself getting closer and closer to to the boy every day that she spent with him. Besides Faith, who had obviously and completely gone over the deep end, he was the only one that understood her. Her destiny. She was destined to die, and so was he. They had both cheated death several times, and as morbid as it was, they had formed a close bond on that premise alone.

Watching as he jerked slightly, his hand finding its way to her hip, she closed her eyes and forced herself to remember her dream. It was so clear and vivid that she could have sworn that it had actually happened. That only meant one thing: it had been a prophetic dream. _Shit_. Sighing, she craned her neck to the side, glancing over at the clock on her nightstand and seeing that it was almost nine o'clock. His classes started at ten, and she needed to see Dumbledore as soon as possible to tell him about her dream.

"Harry," she whispered, giving him a gentle nudge, smiling amusedly when he ignored her, snuggling deeper into the mass of pillows. "Harry, wake up."

"Mnyuhhhh..." he groaned, removing his hand from her hip and using it to pull the covers over his head. Laughing quietly, she grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it down, causing him to groan again and open one bright green eye at her. "S'matter?"

"It's nine," she supplied, and he groaned again. "You gotta get to class, and I have to go see Albus." Shooting a mock-annoyed glare in her direction, he slid out from beneath the covers, the way his tight t-shirt and low-slung pajama pants clung to his body causing her eyes to be drawn to his muscular physique. He had always been extremely attractive, but the last two months of vigorous training, both with her and in Angel and Spike's class, had done wonders for him. He grabbed his glasses from the table on his side of the bed, and she could feel his eyes on her as she got out of bed, his gaze sweeping over her undersized white tank top and pink and white pajama bottoms. Reaching her hands to her hair, she noticed that she had a particularly bad case of bed head and winced, running her fingers through the long blond locks to untangle them. Just then, Sir Charles appeared in the the empty portrait by her bed.

"Good morning, Miss Buffy, Mr. Potter."

"Hey Charles," the Slayer greeted, and Harry gave him a nod, watching their interaction with interest.

"Mr. Malfoy is here to see you." Since he had confided in her his fear at being asked to kill Dumbledore, he and Buffy had become fast friends. She was still a bit on guard about the fact that he could be setting up a trap for her, but he had proven time and time again that he was truly on their side. She had forbid him to return to his mansion, not wanting Voldemort to sense his true intentions and kill him for defying him, and he had eagerly agreed. He had no desire to deal with either the Dark Lord or his father. Looking over at Harry, she saw that he was glaring slightly, and a second later, he had walked over to the door exited her room, softly closing the door behind him. He and Draco still hated each other, and he had repeatedly tried to convince her that he was evil. They had even gotten into a few fights over it. Buffy trusted the blond, and he refused to accept it.

"Send him in," she ordered before following the boy into the common room. "Harry, please, wait." He turned so sharply that she was caught off-guard, nearly slamming into the furious boy. She thought he was going to yell, but the anger in his eyes quickly dissipated at the hurt look on her face.

"He's going to hurt you," he said softly, the concern and worry shining in his beautiful green eyes. "He's working for him, you know he is!"

"Harry, please!" Buffy countered, clearly exasperated, but this didn't stop him.

"After all that he's done! He's a complete prat to everyone! He's evil! I can feel it!" He paused in an attempt to control his rising anger. "I just... I don't want you to get hurt." He tenderly tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear, letting it rest on her cheek and looking deep into her eyes, green meeting hazel.

"I know," she answered quietly, her brain focusing on the way his hand felt of her soft skin. "But I trust him, and you should too." Their moment was interrupted by the portrait swinging open, and Harry quickly dropped his hand to his side, sending Draco a scathing glare.

"Malfoy."

"Potter," Draco greeted, not even trying to hide the disdain in his voice. There was something else in his eyes that Buffy couldn't quite recognize as he looked the other boy up and down, taking in his state of dress.

"Harry, go get ready for class," she ordered gently, nudging him in the direction of the door that led to the Gryffindor common room. "It's alright, go." Giving her one last look and Draco one last glare, he moved away from her, disappearing through the door and practically slamming it close behind him. "Hey, Drake. What's up?" His eyes snapped up from where they were lingering on the exposed skin between her tank top and pajama pants, his anger at seeing the other boy disappearing the second his eyes met hers. Seeing the fear and utter panic in his eyes, she frowned, walking over to him and taking his hand in hers, leading him to the plush leather couch and pushing him down onto it. "Drake, what's wrong?"

"They're coming tonight." His voice shook with panic despite his cool exterior, and she frowned at him in concern. "Voldemort. He's coming tonight." Buffy felt her stomach drop, and her mouth suddenly felt extremely dry. She knew that it was going to be soon, having had a prophetic dream and all, but the Powers usually gave her a few days to prepare.

"Shit!" she yelled after a moment of silence, causing Draco to jerk in surprise next to her, staring at her like she had grown a second head. She jumped to her feet and started pacing, walking in a tighter and tighter circle until she was basically spinning on the carpet. "It can't be... We're not ready... Not yet..." Then, in a blink of an eye, she was out of the room and running down the corridor to Dumbeldore's office, leaving Draco to sprint after her. Falling into step at her side, he kept right with her as she shot down corridors and up staircases, even when he looked like he was going to die. Stopping in front of the stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office, she shouted the password, Pepper Imps, at it before racing up the stairs and barging through the heavy wooden doors without knocking. Draco entered after her, breathing so hard that she was afraid he might blow out a lung. Frowning, she pushed him into the chair across from Dumbledore's desk before dropping into the one next to him. She had been so intent on getting to the Headmaster, that she didn't even try to slow down. It was a miracle that he had been able to keep up with her.

"Buffy, Mr. Malfoy, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Dumbledore greeted, raising an eyebrow at the way Draco was sitting with his hands on his knees, gasping and panting for breath, sweat pouring down his face and arms.

"Something's happened," she answered, pushing a glass of water Dumbledore had conjured into Draco's hand. He smiled at her gratefully before downing it in one gulp and replacing it on the desk. "Voldemort's coming tonight." The Headmaster sat up a bit straighter in his chair in alarm, looking at her seriously. "I need to see the Order. Now." He nodded without question, pulling out his wand. A silver phoenix burst from the end of his wand as he muttered something under his breath, disappearing out the window a few moments later.

"We must go to headquarters," he insisted, and the Slayer nodded, standing up and knocking the chair backwards a few inches in the process. "Shall we inform Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger?" She nodded again, watching as Draco finally caught his breath and stood up beside her.

"I'll get them. Take Draco, and I'll meet you there." Dumbledore was the one to nod this time, gesturing for Draco to follow him over to the fireplace.

"Buffy..." the blond argued, wanting to help, but Buffy cut him off.

"I'll be fine." She gave him a soft smile and gently pushed him toward the fireplace. "Everything's going to be fine. I'll see you soon." Without another word, she exited the room, sprinting as fast as she could to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Bursting through the door and drawing all eyes to herself, she saw Snape and Lupin at the front of the room, both of their wands pointed at the other with shocked expressions on their faces. Knowing that the kids needed to learn how to duel, she had put them in charge, refusing to allow their personal problems interfere with the safety of the students. Of course, they had tried to argue with her, but at her insistence, they had relented, wanting to please her and not wanting to question her authority. She had become one of the most important teachers at Hogwarts, second only to Dumbledore himself, and they knew better than to question her. They had also become extremely close to her during her stay, and both of them would do anything for her. "Albus needs you," she informed them, and they both lowered their wands. "You three," she turned her attention toward the Trio, motioning for them to come with her. "Come with me. The rest of you..." − she addressed the rest of the class, which consisted of all of the seventh year Gryffindors − "Go back to your dormitories. Don't leave until Dumbledore or I tell you to come out. Is that clear?" The authority in her voice allowed no argument, and they all nodded before gathering their things and shuffling out of the room, whispering and muttering among themselves. She walked over to Snape and Lupin, and they watched her eagerly, awaiting her next order. "Get Ginny and the others and meet us at headquarters." They nodded before exiting the room in a blur of black fabric.

"Buffy, what's happening?" Hermione asked, her eyes clouded with worry. "What's going on?"

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, panic tinging his voice at the fact that she was still dressed in her pajamas and that she was practically shaking with pent up energy.

"What happened?" Ron echoed Hermione, speaking up for the first time, and causing her to rip her gaze from Harry's face.

"Something's happened," she answered, briskly. "We're going to headquarters. Hang onto me." She felt three hands close over her arms, and she closed her eyes, concentrating solely on number twelve Grimmauld Place. Since she had informed Dumbledore of her ability to apparate in and out of Hogwarts, he had pushed her to learn to control it, knowing that it would be extremely beneficial to them. He had never known anyone who could accomplish it, even himself or Voldemort, the two most powerful wizards in the world, as the magical shields around Hogwarts were supposed to prevent it, and though he showed no sign of it, she could tell that he feared the power that she possessed. She had shrugged, assuming that this ability had something to do with her Slayer power on top of her other magical powers. She felt her lungs constrict, and a few seconds later, opened her eyes to see the faded wallpaper of the dingy hallway of the Order's headquarters. Landing firmly on her feet, she looked down to see that Harry, Ron, and Hermione hadn't been as graceful. They were all lying sprawled on the ground, slightly disoriented from the side-along apparation. Helping them to their feet, she turned away, leading them to the kitchen.

"Oh, Buffy!" Mrs. Weasley greeted the second she had walked through the door to the kitchen. She was swept up into a large hug by the older woman and wrapped her arms around her gently before letting go and sitting down at the long wooden table. Every single member of the Order was there, as well as the entire Hogwarts staff, the Weasley family, The Scoobies, and Draco. He was standing rather awkwardly in the corner of the room, clearly out of place, and Buffy gestured for him to sit next to her, which he did without hesitation. The only two missing were Angel and Spike. She had sent them off to recruit vampires from the surrounding areas a few days ago and hadn't heard from them since.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Ron sneered, causing the blond to roll her eyes at him. The read head showed about as much as restraint in showing his distaste for Draco as Harry did, but Hermione and Ginny had chosen to keep their thoughts to themselves. Buffy trusted him, and that was enough for them.

"He's on our side, Ron," she said, her voice slightly cooler than she had meant it. If anyone wanted to attack Draco, they would have to go through her first. "It's about time you realized that." She gestured for everyone to sit down, and the sound of chairs scraping against the floor and excited mummers echoed through the overcrowded room. "I had a dream last night. We were all there. Voldemort had his Death Eaters and vampires. Giants, demons, fighting suits of armor... anything you could think of. This is it. The final showdown."

"How can you be sure that it wasn't just a dream?" Professor McGonagall asked, raising a thin eyebrow at her. Buffy looked over at Giles, giving him permission to explain. He loved doing that, after all.

"Slayers are often prone to have prophetic dreams," he continued to prattle on like a walking textbook, explaining her dreams, while Buffy and the Scoobies exchanged amused looks. Some things never changed. "If this dream is indeed prophetic, I am certain that the events that took place will soon be upon us. Should be a couple of days at least."

"Unfortunately," Buffy interrupted, frowning, "the Powers That Be haven't given us a couple of days. It's happening tonight."

"Are you sure?" her Watcher inquired.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Dear Lord," he muttered, snatching the glasses from his face and cleaning them with a cloth from his jacket pocket. Buffy and the others exchanged another amused look before her features once again became serious.

"Drake, tell us what happened," she prompted Draco gently, watching as he shifted nervously in his seat. Harry stiffened at the nickname, but she placed a hand on his knee and squeezed, causing him to relax slightly. Draco hesitated, looking over at her, and the Slayer smiled at him encouragingly. "Go on."

"My father has informed me that Voldemort plans to attack Hogwarts tonight." His voice was quiet, betraying his fear at being shoved into a room where practically everyone thought that he was a Death Eater and hated his family, and Buffy gently took her hand in his, giving him what she hoped was a comforting smile. That's when Harry snapped. He stood up so violently that his chair was knocked backwards into Mrs. Weasley's lap, and in a second, Ron was standing at his side.

"Your father's a bleeding Death Eater!" he yelled at the blond, causing him to shoot to his feet as well. "Why would he tell you if you weren't one either? It's because you're one of them!"

"Yeah!" Ron contributed helpfully, pinning Draco with a glare of his own.

"Harry!" Hermione whispered urgently, tugging on his sleeve and trying to get him to sit back down. She knew that his little outburst could only end in trouble. "Ronald, sit down!"

"Hey!" Buffy said, standing up and placing one hand on Draco's chest and the other on Harry's just in case they decided to start throwing punches. They ignored her as well. A few of the adults had stood as well and were watching the fight apprehensively, not knowing what to do. Dumbledore hadn't moved from his chair; he was watching the two as they screamed at each other, his head tilted to the side regarding them silently.

"My father," the blond practically spat in the other boy's face, "may be an evil bastard, but he would never let anything happen to me! I'm not a Death Eater, you git! Don't you think she'd" − he pointed to Buffy − "would be able to tell?"

"I don't care that you've convinced her that you're on our side, but I don't believe you," Harry shot back, and Buffy saw him reaching for his wand. Looking over at Draco, she saw that he was doing the same.

"That's enough!" she thundered, causing all eyes to snap toward her. She rarely yelled, in fact, most of the people in the room hadn't seen her loose her cool, but those who knew her knew that things were pretty serious when she did. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Willow and Xander exchange a worried glance."You three," she ordered, turning her attention toward Draco, Harry, and Ron. "In the hallway." Neither of them moved. They simply continued to stare at her, shock and a little bit of fear etched on all of their faces. "Now." Without another word, she spun on her heel and stalked from the room, coming to a stop in the hallway and waiting for them to join her, a scowl marring her beautiful features and her hand planted firmly on her hip.

"Buffy," Harry started when he caught sight of her, but she held up a hand to silence him.

"I don't want to hear it, Harry!" Draco and Ron filed out after him, both looking down at their feet. "Now that's enough!"

"But-..."

"No!" She knew that everyone could hear her, but she didn't care. All she cared about was forcing the fact that Draco was on their side into their tiny, thick, little brains. "I've had enough of this stupid little testosterone showdown! It's stupid! And it's not getting us anywhere! You two," she spun toward Harry and Ron, causing them to take a step back at the anger radiating off of her in waves. "You need to understand that I trust him. I trust that he's not going to fuck us over, turn us over to Voldemort. I brought you here because I thought you'd want to know what was going on. You don't have to trust me, I don't even really care what you think. But you have to realize that I'm in charge." The Slayer in her took over and didn't seem to care that she was talking to two of her best friends, one who was potential boyfriend material. "Whatever Dumbledore and I think, whoever we trust, that's all that matters. I expect you not to question my authority again. And you," she turned toward Draco, who was looking at her as if he was a five year old child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "If you're truly on our side, if you want me to continue trusting you, protecting you, including you in my life, you have to understand that Harry... and Ron... are important parts of my life. They always will be. Their involvement is extremely crucial in defeating Voldemort. If you can't handle that, then I can't help you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Buffy." She regarded all of them, slightly sorry that she had blown up at them, but knowing that it had needed to be done. All of them looked sufficiently sorry, and she nodded, giving them a soft smile.

"Good, now come on." Stepping away from them, she reentered the kitchen, not saying a word to the other occupants, and waiting for them to follow her. Once again dropping into her chair, she looked to her right where Draco was seated beside her and nodded for him to continue. "Draco."

"My father has informed me that Voldemort plans to attack Hogwarts tonight," he repeated, clearly still shaken by what had just happened. "He told me to get out, to get as far away as possible, but I couldn't." He felt Harry's angry eyes on the side of his head, but he continued at Buffy's encouraging smile. "He's coming as soon as it's dark." There was a moment of silence as everyone struggled to digest this information. Then, all of a sudden, the room broke out in panic. People rocketed out of their chairs, screaming at both Dumbledore and Buffy, asking them about what they were going to do.

"Silence!" came Dumbledore's loud voice, and all noise ceased. "Severus." Snape stood, giving all of his attention to the headmaster. "You will escort Mrs. Potter, Miss and Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Granger back to Hogwarts and then return to Voldemort's side. Find out everything you can about his plans."

"Yes, Headmaster," he answered, nodding, and quickly ushered the four from the room. They followed without question. Buffy could feel both Harry and Draco's eyes on her, but she refused to look at them, still upset at what had just happened. Whether it was at them or herself for yelling at them even though they completely deserved it, she didn't know. But that didn't matter right now.

"We need to evacuate the students," she said once Snape had gone, her eyes focusing on the headmaster. "All of the underage students. The older ones can decide if they want to help. They don't have to, but they should have the option." Dumbledore nodded. "We need weapons for those who can't use magic. Anything that we have in the castle, bring it to me." He nodded again. "I need to see the Minister." She stood up, watching as he stood up, the rest of the occupants of the room doing the same. "I should be back in less than an hour."

"Of course," Dumbledore agreed with a small bow of his head. "Alastor, Kingsley, Nymphadora, Arthur." Each stepped forward, separating themselves from the rest of the group. "Go with her. Alert everyone of our situation. Bring back anyone willing to fight."

"Giles." Buffy walked over to him, motioning for her friends to gather around her. They did so without question. "Find Angel and Spike and then go back to Hogwarts. Find any... spells, wicca or other, that could potentially kill vampires. Gather holy water, crosses... All the weapons you can find. Keep the kids safe until I get back, alright?" She asked them to do this, because she trusted them more than anybody else. They would do exactly what she wanted without any question. They were all in this together. They always had been, and they always would be. But most importantly, she wanted them in the castle. They would be safe there.

"Sure thing, Buffster," Xander answered with one of his trademark grins, reaching out to ruffle her hair, earning him a mock glare. Oz stood stonily by, an arm wrapped around his panicking girlfriend. He nodded almost imperceptibly, but Buffy knew that he would do whatever she asked of him.

"Buffy I can't... I'm not strong enough..." The Slayer cut off her babbling friend, knowing that she was talking about magic. Sure, her abilities were coming along, but she wasn't advanced enough to be extremely effective in battle. Willow knew that, and she knew that.

"Willow, you're amazing," she said gently, her features softening with sympathy for the girl. "You can do this. _We_ can do this. We've faced much worse." This was an obvious lie, both of them knew it, but Willow nodded anyways, launching herself at her best friend and wrapping her arms around her, not knowing when she would see her again. "I'll be back soon."

"Be careful," Giles instructed, gently peeling a hysterical Willow off of his Slayer. "Watch your back." With one last look at her friends, and at this point, her family, she followed the four people accompanying her to the Ministry of Magic into the hallway, nodding when Mr. Weasley asked if she was ready. Wordlessly she trailed behind them as they made their way to the front room, and with the flick of his wand, a large fire sprung to life. Grabbing the jar of floo powder from the mantle, he held it out to her, and she took a small pinch of the silvery, giving him a grateful smile and moving to stand in front of the fireplace.

"Ministry of Magic, London!" she practically yelled, throwing the powder into the fire and watching as the flames turned emerald green. Stepping into the fireplace, she closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the inevitable nausea as her world spun around her. A few second later, she practically fell out of the fireplace at the other end, managing to catch herself before she fell flat on her face. Brushing a bit of ash off of herself, she looked around, watching as several dozens of people bustled around her, shooting her odd looks, as she was still dressed in her pajamas. She ignored them. She hadn't had time to change; it didn't seem important at the time, and it still didn't. Waiting for the others to emerge from the fireplaces, she walked over to Mr. Weasley, and they were soon joined by the other three. "I'm going to go see the Minister. Gather up all the people you can, and I'll meet you at Hogwarts." They all nodded in response before going their separate ways, Buffy walking past the gigantic statue of the magical brethren to the elevators and the others heading God knows where. Stepping into the waiting elevator, she pushed the button that would take her to the first floor, smiling slightly annoyedly as the other occupants shot her quizzical looks at her unusual attire.

"Level Seven: Department of Magical Games and Sports," came the elevator's cool, crisp voice. A tall wizard got off, sending one last look in Buffy's direction before disappearing around the corner. "Level Six: Department of International Magical Cooperation." A few more people got on and off. Not knowing any of these people and not really wanting to talk to any of them, she let her mind wander off. They weren't ready. It sucked, but they just weren't. The children, teenagers, she corrected herself, weren't ready. The teachers weren't ready. Dumbledore wasn't ready. She wasn't ready. Hell, even the Ministry wasn't ready. They were so screwed. "Level one: Office of the highest Ministry Officials, such as the Minister of Magic, Advisor to Minister, Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister of Magic, and Junior Assistant to Minister of Magic." The lift jolted to a stop, and she ducked a paper airplane memo before stepping out of the elevator and taking a sharp right. Passing several doors, she stopped in front of the one that contained a plaque declaring "Cornelius Fudge: Minister of Magic," knocking curtly before entering.

"Ah Buffy," Cornelius greeted, raising an eyebrow at her attire but not saying anything. "Good to see you again. What's on your mind?" He gestured for her to take a seat, but she ignored him, choosing to pace instead. He had been forced to warm up to her after learning that she had become one of the most important people at Hogwarts, a visit from Dumbledore ensuring that the Minister would do anything in his power to give her whatever she needed. She still hated the stupid little man that had been such a prick to her and Giles the first time they had met, but she knew that she had to play nice with him if she wanted even the tiniest chance of defeating Voldemort. She continued to pace and completely ignored him, debating how she should tell him, before deciding that there was no other way to.

"It's happening. Tonight."

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Well, there's that. I'm actually quite pleased how it came out, even though it's a little bit rushed. Hope y'all enjoyed!


	22. The Final Showdown

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses, Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works, I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH! You have been warned.

Thanks to Princesakarlita411 and Ida Blake for your lovely reviews! Sorry it took so long to update, but I hope that it was worth it!

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Buffy stormed out of the Fudge's office half an hour later, absolutely furious. Honestly, she had no idea how that spineless, _worthless_ little man had been appointed Minister of Magic. After she had told him what was going on, all he was able to do was sit there with his mouth open, staring at her and stuttering out some unintelligible words. Then again, he had never been one for conflict. She had no idea how he had gotten the job. There had been no change when she tried to ask him what he could do to help; he had only snapped out of his state when the Slayer practically yelled directly into his ear. Then, he simply rambled on about how there was nothing he could do, and she finally settled on him sending out a warning to the public, as well as to the Muggle Prime Minister, that the big fight with Voldemort was going down that night and to stay in their homes. Even then, she practically had to hold his hand as he put the word out.

Walking back to the elevator, she jabbed the up button, still muttering about incompetent world leaders. Almost immediately, the heavy metal doors opened with a _bing_ and she stepped in, once again receiving odd looks at her attire. She made a mental note to change first thing when she got back to Hogwarts. Pressing the "2," she waited patiently as the lift rose a floor, a cool, female voice announcing "Department of Magical Law Enforcement: Auror Headquarters, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, and Wizengamot Administration Services," as it came to a halt. Sweeping out of the elevator she took a left, another left, and a sharp right, immediately finding herself in the Auror Headquarters. Dozens of familiar faces, Mr. Weasley, Tonks, Kingsley, and Moody included, turned to look at her.

"Hey, guys," she greeted with a small wave. Several "Hi, Buffy"s greeted her back. "Mr. Weasley, did you..." She trailed off, but he knew that she meant had he told them about what was going down that night.

"I did, Buffy," he answered with a nod. Looking over at Tonks, she smiled at the girl's excited wave. They had formed quite a bond, even though they hadn't known each other for long. She almost always accompanied Buffy to the Ministry when she had a meeting or simply wanted to see how things were going. "They're all yours."

"Just wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page," she said, smiling at him. "I don't have anything new. Fudge didn't do anything, so I guess it's up to us." There was a murmur of confusion; everyone had thought that the Minister would have some sort of trick up their sleeve. Oh, how wrong they were. "Grab all the protection you can... I hear you guys have hundreds of those Weasley shield cloaks?" She looked over at Mr. Weasley, and he nodded.

"The boys have several at their apartment as well."

"Good. Have them gather up everything they think will help." She turned back to the rest of the people in the room. "Decoys, distractions, anything. Alright?" Dozens of heads nodded. "Everyone meet at Hogwarts as soon as you can. We have no idea when he's going to attack." Without another word, she exited the room with Mr. Weasley, Tonks, and Moody on her heels. Kingsley was to stay behind and make sure everyone got to Hogwarts on time. After a quick elevator ride and walk through the atrium, the four stopped by the various fireplaces. "Go back to Hogwarts. Tell Dumbledore to gather the Order in his office. I'll be less than half an hour. No one leaves until I get back." With three identical nods, Mr. Weasley, Tonkds, and Moody disappeared into emerald green flames, leaving her looking into her own fireplace. Grabbing a handful of silver powder from a jar on the mantle, she threw it into the fire, watching as the flames turned bright green. "1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale, California!" Stepping into the fireplace, she tucked her elbows close to her and closed her eyes, feeling extremely sick as the world around her continued to spin rapidly until...

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" A high-pitched scream echoed around the room, and her eyes snapped open as she stumbled out of the fireplace. "Buffy! You almost gave me heart attack!"

"Sorry, Mom," the Slayer apologized with a small smile as the older woman pulled her into a tight hug. Apparently she had been sitting on the couch watching TV when her fireplace had erupted in flames and her daughter had tumbled out of it. "It's happening tonight," she continued, getting right down to business.

"What?" Joyce asked, clearly confused. Shepherding the small blond to the kitchen, she pushed a plate of cookies and a glass of milk from the fridge into her hands before pushing her down at the kitchen table. "What's happening?"

"Voldemort's coming tonight," Buffy elaborated, shoving a cookie into her mouth and draining half of the glass of milk in one gulp. She hadn't eaten all day, and it was finally getting to her. Her mother's amused look at her actions disappeared completely at the words that were coming out of her mouth.

"W-what? Tonight?" Buffy nodded. "But you're not ready!"

"I know," she agreed. "We're not, but we don't have any choice."

"But-..." Joyce started but was quickly cut off.

"Mom, if something happens to me... to Giles, Xander, and Willow... If we loose... You have to get out of here." The older woman made to interrupt, but Buffy held up a hand to stop her. "No. No objects. No arguments. If we loose, if Voldemort takes over, you'll be in danger. _Everyone_ will be in danger. He doesn't care who he hurts, and he'll show no remorse in blowing the whole world to hell. Go somewhere... anywhere that's not here. Get out a map and point. No one can know where you're going."

"But, Buffy-..." Joyce tried again, but the blond refused to listen.

"No, Mom," she stated vehemently, shaking her head. "Promise me. If something happens, you'll leave. Get as far away as possible. I'll send someone who I trust to tell you."

"Buffy, please." The older woman looked almost hysterical. No matter how many times her daughter jumped head-long into a dangerous, and potentially fatal, situation, she'd never get used to it. No parent would. And Buffy didn't expect her go without a fight. She did, however, expect her to follow her orders. She was right, and Joyce knew it.

"Mom," she ordered firmly. "Promise me." There were a few moments of silence before Joyce nodded.

"Alright. I don't like it, but... alright."

"Thank's, Mom." Buffy smiled softly before getting up from the table and walking back into the living room. "I have to go." Joyce knew better than to argue with her, and she gave her daughter a tight hug before letting her go and allowing her to walk over to the now lit fireplace.

"Be careful, honey."

"I will." With one last look, the Slayer grabbed a handful of silver powder out of the jar on the mantle, which she had left the last time she visited home, and tossed it into the fire, watching as it turned green. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Buffy Summer's quarters!" With that she was gone, and a few seconds later, she stepped gracefully out of the fireplace into her sitting room. Quickly shedding the pajamas she had been wearing all day, she walked into her bedroom and over to her closet and slipped on a pair of jeans, a black tank top, a pair of boots, and her favorite black leather jacket. She tucked her wand and a stake in to the waistband of her jeans before exiting her suite and making her way to Dumbledore's office. After telling the stone gargoyle the password, ascending the winding staircase, and reaching the small landing, she knocked softly on the door and entered at his soft "come in."

"Ah, Buffy. Excellent," Dumbledore greeted. The large office was packed with people. Members of the Order, every single Hogwarts professor, and the Scoobies all turned toward her when she stepped into the room, and her eyes widened slightly at the sudden attention. Everyone was seated and had arranged the many chairs into a circle so that they could all see and talk to each other. Quickly waving it off, she crossed the room to the Headmaster's desk and dropped into the empty chair in front of it. Someone was missing.

"Where's Snape?"

"Severus has just returned from his visit with Lord Voldemort." Several people flinched at the name, but both Buffy and Dumbledore ignored them. "He's on his way right now." The Slayer nodded.

"Alright." Sure enough, the Potions master burst into the room a few seconds later, panting and slightly out of breath. "Well?" she prompted when he had sunk down into the chair next to her. "What happened."

"He will be attacking as soon as the moon rises," Snape answered. He looked slightly disheveled. His robes were wrinkled, his face was flushed, and his greasy hair, which was normally completely slicked back, were gathered into strands that fell into his face.

"Okay," she said, thinking. "That means we still have a few hours to get prepared. Good..." She was talking more to herself than to the others. "Giles." The older man's head snapped toward hers when she addressed him, and he gave her an encouraging smile. "Where's Angel and Spike."

"They're on their way," he answered, glancing over at Willow.

"They were somewhere in France, but we've arranged for a Portkey to send them back any minute now," the redhead informed her. Buffy nodded.

"Okay, good. Spells and weapons?"

"We have the ones from your room and a few others scattered around the castle," Xander piped up, and she smiled at him.

"We found some spells that create sunlight," Willow started, frowning. "But they kill all of the vampires in the area. There's no way to isolate it." Buffy frowned at this, too. "There'd be no way to be sure that Angel and Spike wouldn't be caught in it."

"Alright, scratch that, then," the blond answered, and her friend nodded in agreement. "Can't risk anything happening to them. "Professor?" she asked, turning back to Dumbledore. "The students?"

"All of the underage students have been sent home with orders to warn their parents and relatives," he replied, peering at her serenely over his half-moon spectacles. "Though many tried to stay behind and fight. Mr. Filch has caught several trying to sneak back into the castle." A ghost of a smile formed on her lips, causing the Slayer to smile as well. She was sure she knew some of the kids that had tried to stay behind and help. But it was too dangerous. "Those who chose to remain behind can be found in their house common rooms. It was all Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs with the exception of Mr. Malfoy." His smile had lost some of his sparkle at this revelation, and Snape looked angry. Buffy sighed, but was not surprised. She hadn't really been expecting any Slytherins beside Draco to stay behind and fight Voldemort, not when so many of their parents were, or had previously been, Death Eaters who absolutely despised Albus Dumbledore. "I have been turning away people who have offered to fight along side us. It's better that we have complete trust in everyone." Buffy nodded. Anyone could come waltzing in and kill Harry in the blink of an eye.

"Good idea. Okay, everyone meet me in the Great Hall," she said, a plan formulating in her brain. "Severus, Minerva, Filius, and Pomona, grab your kids." Everyone started to scramble around, following her orders, and Buffy gestured for Giles, Xander, Willow, and Oz to follow her. She quickly led them down the hall to a deserted corridor, stopping when she was sure that no one had followed them.

"What's up, Buff?" Xander asked with a quizzical look on his face. Willow looked nervous, and Oz wrapped an arm around her waist in an attempt to calm her down.

"If anything happens to me," she started, her voice low, "go back to the castle, get Harry and disappear. Take my mom with you. I can't leave her alone."

"But, Buffy..." Buffy held out a hand to silence the redhead.

"No, promise me. We can't afford to loose him. You're the only people I trust with his life. If something happens to me... If Voldemort wins, you _have_ to take care of him. You have to disappear. Anywhere that isn't a highly populated area. Go into hiding. No one can know where you're going. _No one_." They were all looking at her. Willow looked almost hysterical. She never liked to hear that he best friend could potentially die. Then again, who would?

"Buffy, please... You're going to be fine. We all are." Giles put a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder and nodded, knowing better than to argue with his Slayer. Buffy sighed and tugged her best friend away from her boyfriend to wrap her arms around the taller girl and gently stroke her hair reassuringly. After a few seconds, she pulled away and let Oz embrace her.

"Of course we'll keep him safe, Buffy" Giles said. Oz and Xander reluctantly nodded in agreement, but Willow continued to stare and frown at her. But that was the best she was going to get out of her, so she moved on.

"Alright," she said softly, worried about her friend but knowing that she'd be alright. "C'mon, lets go downstairs." It was a quick journey to the first floor, and no more than ten minutes later, the five strode thought the heavy wooden doors into the Great Hall. Even with the hundred or so people who were filling it, it seemed quite empty in comparison to how it looked when it was packed with students. The entire Order, all of the teachers, quite a few students, and several other people that she didn't know but assumed worked for the Ministry were all staring at them. Dumbledore sat at the furthest end, and there was an empty seat next to him, presumably for her. Bidding goodbye to her friends, she made her way to the front of the room and sat down in the empty chair, giving the headmaster a small smile and watching as the Scoobies found seats in the very front of the group. "Is this enough?" she asked quietly, and the Headmaster looked at her for a second before nodding.

"I believe so," Dumbledore answered, holding up a hand to silence the excited mummers that had started when she had entered the room. "They are the ones that we trust." She nodded. She had expected more people, there was no doubt that Voldemort would have at least twice as many, but she wanted to keep Harry safe, and if this was the only way, then so be it. "Why don't you explain your plan for us, so we can begin to get situated," he prodded gently.

"Oh, yeah, right." She stood up and started pacing in front of her and Dumbledore's chairs, looking out into the crowd and deciding what she wanted to do. "Hi everyone," she greeted, shooting them a small wave. "I'm Buffy, if you don't already know me. I'm gonna be the leader of this little operation." The door to the entrance hall opened, and Angel and Spike slipped through. She gave them a nod, which they both returned, before continuing. "Alright, Voldemort" ‒ the majority of the people in the crowd flinched at the name, but she ignored them ‒ "is attacking as soon the sun sets completely. So that'd be around..." She looked over at Dumbldore.

"Seven fourteen."

"Right, seven fourteen." She flashed him a small smile before continuing. "So we still have about two hours to prepare. Ministry officials." Buffy turned toward a group of snappily-dressed witches and wizards sitting at the Ravenclaw table. She had no idea who they were, so she assumed that they were Ministry people. "I want at least one of you on a each student at all times. No arguments," she added, looking over at Harry who already had his mouth open to argue. He immediately closed it, and she gave him an amused look. "It's for your safety. You will remain inside the castle and _only engage in combat if they get by us_." The trio and Draco looked like they were about to argue, but all of the other students nodded without question. She didn't blame them. What teenager was willing to throw themselves head-on into a situation where they could get seriously hurt, or more likely, killed. To be honest, she was pretty surprised that so many of them had volunteered to help. "I want at least two people at any possible entrance to the castle... doors, dungeons, every tower. Anywhere they could get in. Everyone else, leave the vamps to us." She gestured between herself and her Sunnydale friends. "We can handle them, and I need you to concentrate on the people that can do magic. If _anyone_ breaks through to the castle, send up green sparks and inform Professor Dumbledore and I immediately. Is that clear?" There were several nods and "yes Buffy's." "Alright, that's the plan. Meet back here at exactly six thirty exactly. No exceptions. Everyone grab a shield cloak from Mr. Weasley, Fred, or George." She pointed at three men with flaming red hair who had stood up at their names. "It'll protect you from basic spells and jinxes." She turned away from her audience and back to Dumbledore. "I leave anything out?" she asked, lowering her voice.

"No, my dear," the older man answered. "I cannot think of anything else to add."

"Alright, I'm gonna head back to my room and get things set up." He nodded and stood. With that, she hopped off the raised platform and made to exit the room, gesturing for her Sunnydale friends to meet her in her quarters. They nodded and continued to gather shield cloaks from the Weasleys. Pushing her way through the heavy wooden doors and up the the various staircases to the seventh floor, only to be stopped before she could reach her room.

"Buffy," a familiar voice called, and she spun around to see Draco running up to her. "I want to help." She shot him a quizzical look.

"What are you talking about? You are helping."

"No," he argued, shaking his head. "I want to be with you. On the front lines. I want to fight."

"Draco, please," Buffy started slightly impatiently, but her expression softened at the look on his face. "You know you can't. I can't risk your life like that."

"Please, Buffy..."

"Come on, come inside," the Slayer insisted gently, nudging him in the direction of the portrait hole to her suite. After giving Sir Charles the password, she led him inside and pushed him down on the couch before sitting down next to him. He was practically trembling now, and she wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders, her eyebrows furrowing in concern. "Hey, are you alright?" She winced as soon as the words had left her mouth. The answer was so profoundly _no_ that the question hardly applied. But he didn't seem to notice and answered after a few seconds of silence.

"What's going to happen to me?" Draco asked, and she frowned, not knowing what he was getting at. He seemed to sense this and continued. "If we win or if we loose. If we win... I'll have nowhere to go. I can't go back to my parents, and since I'm graduating, I cant stay here. And if we loose..." He trailed off, but Buffy knew exactly what he was inferring. He'd be killed for turning his back on Voldemort and joining her side.

"I promise," Buffy started, placing her hands gently on his jaw and forcing him to look at her, "I will _never_ let anything happen to you. _Ever_. Anyone who wants to hurt you in any way will have to go through me first." He continued to stare into her eyes for a few seconds, cool gray meeting bright green, before leaning in and capturing her lips with his in a soft kiss. She made a surprised squeaking sound, her eyes wide, and he backpedaled immediately.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, practically shooting across the couch so that he was sitting at the opposite end. "I'm so sorry." His eyes were wide, and he had drawn his bottom between his teeth to nibble on it nervously. She had never seen him like that.

"It's okay," the blond said softly, scooting closer to him and taking his hands in hers. "I like you, Draco... I really do... But-..."

"It's Potter, isn't it?" Draco asked. He wasn't angry. He wasn't accusing her of anything. He was merely curious. She nodded slowly, and he sighed. "I knew it."

"I'm sorry..."

"No, it's alright," he interrupted gently. "_Really_." He gave her a small smile and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "I'm fine. I just want you to be happy. Even if it is with Potter." He forced himself to grin, and she took this as a sign that he was trying to joke. There was a pause as he continued to look at her before he continued "I have to go. I'll see you soon." And with that, he was across the room and out of the portrait hole in the blink of an eye, leaving her staring at the spot on the couch he had previously been occupying. Still trying to figure out what had just happened, she got up and wandered over to the door leading to the Gryffindor common room and entered, seeing the person she wanted to talk to sitting in one of the squishy armchairs by the fire. The room was deserted; she figured everyone was still downstairs in the Great Hall getting their hands on a Weasley cloak.

"Hey," she greeted, walking over and dropping down into the chair next to him. However, he jumped up the second she had made contact with the cushions and rounded on her, causing her to raise an eyebrow at the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"You've been leading me on all this time, haven't you?" She tilted her head to the side, wondering what the hell he was talking about. She had never seen him like this before. "I thought that you felt something, that you felt the same way that I did. I was obviously wrong." He got up and made to walk away, but Buffy immediately jumped to her feet, following him so close that she was practically tripping over his heels.

"What are you talki-..." He spun around so fast that she nearly walked right into him, only managing to stop in time because of her Slayer balance.

"I saw you two together!" Harry was practically yelling now, and she stepped back a few feet in alarm. "All this time, I thought we had something! But it turns out you'd moved on without even telling me!"

"Woah!" she yelled right back, causing his eyes to widen slightly. If he pushed her, she was damn well going to push right back. It was time he learned that. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You and Draco!" he said, and something clicked in her brain. Her and Draco. The kiss. _Shit_. "How can you-..."

"I'm not _with_ Draco," Buffy argued, but he shook his head, refusing to believe it. He started to pace and let out a humorless laugh.

"But I mean why not. He's evil, and you tend to go for that kind of thing." Her eyes narrowed at the implication, but she didn't push back, not wanting to get into this now.

"Draco and I aren't together," she started, decidedly ignoring his snort of disbelief, "because I love you, you idiot!" This effectively got his attention, and he stared at her, his mouth slightly open and his eyes wide. Not the most attractive look for him, but hey, the kid was already so gorgeous that it didn't really matter all that much. "Uh, Harry?" A few unmoving seconds later, he had crossed the room and swept her up in his arms so fast that she barely saw him move and pressed his lips to hers. Like Draco's, it took her completely by surprise, but she dropped her guard immediately and kissed him back with equal fervor.

Two hours later, Buffy was standing in the exact place she had dreamt of, on the hill directly in front of the main doors to the castle, surrounded by her friends and allies. A few minutes after her and Harry's second kiss, Ron and Hermione had barged into the common room, and the two had jumped apart, Harry blushing and Buffy with a deer in the headlights look on her face. The four then sat down together, talking and joking just like old times, desperately clinging toward this tiny shred of normalcy in such a stress-filled time. Harry had his arm wrapped around her waist, and looking over, the blond saw that Ron and Hermione were getting quite cozy as well. Smiling, she made a note to ask the younger girl about it if they ever made it through this. A short while later, Buffy had excused herself and went back to her room to prepare. After sending people to their posts, she had gathered all of her weapons and trekked outside with the entire Order, Hogwarts staff, and her Sunnydale friends. So here she was, the heels of her boots digging into the damp grass, clutching a scythe in one hand and her wand in the other. Her friends were standing directly beside her, Willow paired with Snape and carrying a stake and a cross, Xander with Moody clutching an ax, Oz with Lupin and a long sword and a stake, and Giles too with a sword and accompanied by Arthur Weasley. Dumbledore was standing right next to her, and Angel and Spike were directly behind her, fully vamped out and holding a weapon in each hand.

"You guys take out all the vamps and demons you can," Buffy, in full Slayer mood, called to her friends, and they nodded, already knowing the plan. "Leave the others to us. Stay out of the way of any spells, and stick with your partners." A few minutes later, just like in her dream, a tall, robed figure emerged from the Forbidden Forest with a large crowd of figures right behind him. The two leaders stared at each other for what seemed like hours, her gaze flickering occasionally to the brunette woman standing at his side but focusing for the majority of the time on the pale, red-eyed man standing fifty feet in front of her. A blur moved behind her, and she saw that Spike was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in glee with a huge grin on his face. She gave him a look, and he stopped bouncing but didn't loose the grin. Rolling her eyes in amusement, Buffy turned her attention back to Voldemort, and at the exact same time, the two shared a slow nod. "Now!"

Without another word, she threw herself down the hill and into the group of rapidly approaching, black-robed figures. Wielding her wand and scythe, the Slayer managed to decapitate a vampire and send a spell at a Death Eater at once, sending both of them crumpling to the ground, and in the vamp's case, disappearing in a cloud of dust. Voldemort had obviously told them that she was the biggest threat, and she had at least four vampires and wizards on her at all times. But she was too powerful for them, and soon, the floor around her was littered with bodies and piles of dust. She fought for what seemed like days, though it was probably only a few minutes, swinging her scythe and wand through the air and dodging spells and weapons left and right. Panting and gasping for breath, she ignored the burning feeling in her muscles and continued attack anything within ten feet of her. She lost track of her friends in the fray, and her vision narrowed to the space directly in front of her. She couldn't worry about them right then. Despite her Slayer obligations not to kill humans, she had no qualms about ending the lives of those, human or not, who threatened her friends and family. So she put her morals aside and instead cut or cursed anything that came at her. She had been steadily killing her way through the crowd toward Voldemort, who had stayed at the back of the group, content on having others fight his battle, when Faith stepped in front of her. The three vamps that were currently fighting her immediately backed off, obviously following orders from the Dark Lord. Perhaps he was hoping that the two would finish each other off. The blond sighed and took advantage of the small break in fighting to catch her breath, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth and tucking a stray strand of long hair behind her ear.

"Hey there, B," the other Slayer greeted, her eyes gleaming with something that Buffy didn't recognize. The girl had completely gone over to the dark side. She saw nothing that she recognized in the shell of a girl that was standing in front of her.

"Faith," she tried to reason, knowing that it wouldn't do any good. But she had to try. There had to be part of the Faith she used to know inside of this... lunatic. "Please, this isn't you. I know you!"

"Wrong again, B," the younger girl smirked. "You don't know anything. The girl you knew was weak. She had no idea how to take advantage of the power that she had been given. Slaying vamps, killing demons... there's so much _more_ than that. Imagine what we could do together!"

"Faith, please..."

"We could rule the _world_," the brunette continued. Even though her clothes and skin were splattered in blood, she looked like a kid on Christmas morning. She was practically _gleeful_. "We have the power. He'd take you back. You know he would. C'mon, B, this is where you belong! Together, we'd be unstoppable!" Buffy shook her head sadly before tucking her wand into the waistband of her jeans. If they were going to fight to the death, she wanted an even playing field. Even though she doubted that the other Slayer would have given her the same courtesy, but she liked to pretend that she would. Either way, she was too big of a person to point her wand at someone who didn't know a single spell.

"I'm sorry, Faith."

"It's alright, B." The other girl looked just as disappointed as she did, but clutched her sword even tighter in her hands and dropped into a fighting stance. "Just wasn't meant to be." With one last look at each other, they launched themselves at the other, and there was a clash of metal on metal as their weapons collided. Almost immediately, both girls were unarmed, and they circled each other, weapons forgotten. Faith, always the impatient one, attacked first with a punch to the older girl's jaw, but Buffy ducked and kneed her in the stomach, sending her to the ground as she groaned in pain. But she quickly recovered and rat at the blond, fists flying, and Buffy was unable to avoid a kick that collided with her knee, and she dropped to the ground wincing. This fight lasted longer than their last, but fifteen minutes later, both bruised and bleeding, the older Slayer had the younger pinned to the ground as she straddled her. She could have snapped her neck in a second, but she hesitated.

"Last chance, Faith." The brunette smirked and shook her head.

"Always looking for the best in people. You gotta know, B. You can't save everyone." With that, she grabbed the knife that Buffy had knocked from her hand so long ago and shoved it into the older girl's stomach, both watching as the blood pooled from the wound onto the brunette's stomach.

"No!" A second later, she was lifted off of Faith, her vision blurring at the edges, as Angel sent his own blood-covered sword into her sister Slayer's chest. The younger girl sputtered and failed for a few hysterical moments before going still, leaving Buffy staring at her in horror as the light drained from her eyes. "Buffy... Hold on." His voice was soft, and he set her back down on the ground next to her former friend, looking her over and finally stripping off his shirt to hold against her would. Letting out a small moan of pain, she closed her eyes as she felt the blood pour from her body, barely even noticing when he yelled for help. However, did did notice when Hermione ran up to her, with a cut lip and panic in her eyes.

"Oh my god, Buffy! What happened?" she screamed, hysterical, when she took in the sight of Angel holding a blood-soaked shirt to her stomach.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Angel countered. His former lover had enough to worry about with those damn kids not following her orders. "Get back in the castle!"

"It's Harry!" the girl argued. Buffy perked up at this. "Voldemort got inside the castle! He's going after Harry!" At this, the Slayer jumped to her feet after pushing Angel aside, completely ignoring his vehement protests that she was in no condition to continue fighting. Pushing her pain and light-headedness aside, she sprinted toward the castle, wrenching a sword out of the first dead body she came into contact with. Tearing through the front hall, she saw that Voldemort had managed to push him into an empty corridor and had cast some sort of shield around the pair so that no one could get in. Skidding to a stop in front of Professor McGonagall, Sirius, Bill and Charlie Weasley, and several other students and teachers who were trying everything they could think of to burst the bubble, she watched with a building sense of hysteria as the two threw and dodged spells. Then, at one of Voldemort's well-placed spells, Harry was knocked off of his feet with a gasp of pain, his wand flying out of his hand and skidding across the polished floor.

"_Avada Kadavra_!" two voices shouted at once, and two bolts of green light illuminated the corridor, sending everyone into a panic. Immediately, the shield was broken, and Buffy's wand clattered to the floor as she pushed several people aside, her vision narrowing on Harry. In a split second, she had forced her way through the crowd and was kneeling at his side, holding his limp body to hers and letting out a primal scream as she took in his blank features and lifeless eyes.

--

Sorry for the cliff hanger, but I felt that this was a good place to stop. I know, I love Harry too and absolutely hate that I killed him, but it had to be done if I want to finish this fic how I want to. You'll have to wait at least a week for the next chapter because I'm going to be in San Diego for a little while. Loved it? Hated it? Drop me a review on the way out!


	23. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) own none of the characters from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Harry Potter series. They belong to the geniuses Joss Whedon and J.K. Rowling. I am not trying to take credit for their works. I am just a poor college student amusing herself by writing some fan fiction!

For the timeline and changes I made to both the Buffy and HP fandoms, see Chapter 1!

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH! You have been warned.

xxxx

Dear GOD! I am so so so so so sorry that this final chapter took so long to get out. I've been half way done with it for months now, but I just couldn't figure out the direction I wanted to go. Whether to make the ending sad or happy. Whether to bring people back to life or keep them dead. God, I've wracked my brain for months trying to find an ending I'm happy with. And I think I've found it!

Thank you so much to MerAlex-MerMark-4ever, Princessakarlita411, xXTheBlackCanaryXx, Shaylee-PotterMalfoy, PrInCeSsFBi, and nightshadow life for your reviews. I really appreciate it. To everyone else, I am so thankful that you have been so supportive during this journey of writing my first fanfic. I know that it was a very stretched-out journey, and I am extremely appreciative that you have stuck with me all this time.

Anyways, enough of that... Onto the last chapter!

xxxx

The rest of the battle passed in a blur of flashes of lights and fists. Buffy had resolved not to leave Harry's side, but this plan was immediately thwarted when she was tackled to the marble floor. There was a moment of shock as her brain tried to process what had just happened. One moment she was holding her dead boyfriend to her, and the next moment, she was laying flat on her back with a large, snarling vampire straddling her hips. Then, the moment of shock was gone, replaced by a wave of anger.

Anger at Voldemort, at the wizards and vampires and demons that were attacking the school, at the people in the castle who hadn't come to get her the second Voldemort had walked through the front doors, but mostly at herself. She was mad at herself. She hadn't been able to save him. After everything. After saving him from Bellatrix, after saving him from Faith, after all those months of refusing to leave his side. After all of that, she had left him alone, out of sight, directly in harm's way. Defenseless. She hadn't left him with Dumbledore, and she hadn't been the one to guard him. She had fucked up, and she had paid for it with his life.

Suddenly her mind was completely clear, and she lashed out, knocking the vamp off of her and staking it effortlessly. She felt all of the feeling flow out of her body, and she fought on autopilot: a kick here, a punch there, a tackle to the stomach of the Death Eater that had Ron pinned against the wall. Her wand still lay several feet away on the floor, and she made no move to retrieve it. She doubted she'd be able to remember anything she had learned, and knew that she could destroy anything in her path with her bare hands. It was easy, familiar. It was all that she could manage at the moment. She was ruthless: anyone who crossed her ended up on the floor, either dead or groaning in pain, watching her as she moved onto her next target. Vampires, demons, humans... She showed no signs of remorse as the bodies fell at her feet.

And then it was over. Just like that.

People began to trickle back into the castle, their enemies having fled as soon as they heard the news that Voldemort had been defeated. She made no move to chase them. They'd be back. And when they were, they were as good as dust. As soon as the last vampire had burst into dust before her eyes, a powerful wave of emotion slammed into her as Harry's limp body once again attracted her attention. Without a word, she walked over to him, staring down at him in silence. Dumbledore came up behind her and raised his wand, levitating Harry's body a few feet in the air and toward the Hospital Wing, as a large group had gathered, staring in horror and whispering amongst themselves. Buffy refused to leave his side and walked next to him, making her way to the infirmary without a word. Gone was the warrior she had been a second ago, leaving a broken and battered girl in its wake. She felt empty. A shell.

Thankfully, her friends let her be and didn't try to talk to her, though Willow, who was looking quite worse for the wear with blood dripping from a few cuts on her face and chest, slid through the crowd and took her best friend's hand in hers. Xander and Giles were nowhere to be found, but she barely acknowledged this fact, instead keeping her eyes trained on the shiny marble beneath her feet, trying to keep the tears at bay. They would be okay. They had to. They were strong and prepared. And nothing would happen to them. A silent procession followed, Dumbledore in the lead with his wand raised to keep the body airborne.

Thirty minutes later, Buffy sat awake in Sirius' old private room, dressed in a fresh set of clothes. She had reluctantly allowed Madame Pomfrey to clean and mend her wounds; the large gash in her stomach from Faith's knife was no more than a thin white scar, though it was still slightly pink around the edges, and the various cuts, scrapes, and broken bones showed no evidence that they had ever existed. She had refused to let Harry out of her sight, and it had taken both Angel and Spike, Angel sporting a bloody nose, a gash on his forehead, and a few broken ribs, and Spike clutching a broken arm to his chest and holding a rag to the back of his head to stem the bleeding from a particularly nasty cut, to wrestle her away from him long enough for the mediwitch to shove a few potions down her throat.

After Madame Pomfrey cleaned her up, Buffy easily lifted Harry's body into her arms and took it to the empty room at the back of the infirmary at Dumbledore's orders to remove him from sight before the rest of the crowd entered the large room. There was no reason to leave him out in the open like that, further alarming them, he had said. Buffy sighed: the damage had already been done, but the Headmaster had ordered it, so she did it without question. She was no longer the one in charge, and for that, she was grateful. Suddenly, it became more than she could bear, and with one last glance at Harry's peaceful features, she exited the small room and reemerged into the crowed, extremely loud room. Everyone was in hysterics: they had started bringing the bodies in. the Slayer watched in muted horror as friend after friend appeared through the doors, held up by floating stretchers. But she didn't run or scream or cry. She remained calm and collected. Just as a Slayer should.

Her eyes widened as Charlie Weasley glided into the room, followed closely by his parents and all of his brothers. They were all battered and bloody, and Mrs. Weasley, who had a deep gash on her cheek, was sobbing wildly, clutching her oldest son's hand and refusing to let go. Mr. Weasley, who was holding a cloth to a wound at his hairline, was whispering to her in comforting tones, though he, as well as everybody else in the room, knew that it was no use. Bill, Fred, and George trailed along a short ways behind them all covered in blood, their jaws clenched as they tried to fight off the tears that threatened to spill. Ron was nowhere to be found, and she frowned, but was quickly distracted. Spotting the gruesome bite to Bill's neck, Buffy winced, all thoughts of Ron instantly pushed to the back of her mind. He hadn't died quick and painlessly. He had suffered. And by the look of the pale complexion of his skin and his blood-soaked robes, he had been drained. She hoped that she would have the strength to... end his life, as well as convince his family to let her do so, if his killer had indeed attempted to make the red-haired boy one of his own.

Little Professor Flitwick, Padma Patil, Mundungus Fletcher, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones, Hestia Jones, Filch, Professor Sinistra, Madam Hooch, Michael Corner, Dean Thomas, Charity Burbage, dozens of witches and wizards she didn't know... Body after body filtered through the open doors. Each sent a ripple of sorrow through her, but none of them could compare to the pain that flooded her as the doors to the infirmary opened once again.

"Oh god," came the Slayer's soft whisper or horror, and she raced toward the doors, not even noticing as she knocked several people aside in her haste to get to the limp body that Hagrid had lowered onto the floor. "Oh god, oh god, oh god," her quiet mantra continued as she dropped to her knees, watching with wide eyes as Willow sunk to the ground next to her and threw herself over their friend's still form. Unable to move, her eyes remained glued to her best friend's sobbing figure as Oz gathered his girlfriend's petite frame in his arms and dragged her away. She put up quite a fight, but a few minutes later, the grief overtook her and she gave in, allowing the werewolf to settle them into a nearby chair. Buffy watched her sob for several long minutes, but eventually, it became too much to bear.

"Who did this?" Buffy ground out between clenched teeth as she stared down at her friend, reaching out to cup his cheek. His features were frozen, eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream. All of the sadness she had felt vanished immediately, replaced by a powerful wave of anger and the need for revenge. She was going to kill the son of a bitch that had ripped her friend away from her. A second later, the large doors banged open once again, revealing a panting and blood-soaked Giles.

"Buffy!" he called, skidding to a stop in front of her. "I came as soon as I heard-..." She cut him off before he could continue.

"Who did this?" she asked again, standing up and turning away from the body on the ground. She looked Hagrid square in the eyes, making him shift uncomfortably as a result of her intense gaze. "Hagrid?"

"'m not sure..."

"Hagrid, who did this?" Her tone left no room for stalling, and he clenched his teeth, nodding in submission. Her anger flared up once again at the name he uttered.

"Lucius Malfoy." Without another word, she turned on her heel and marched out of the infirmary door without a backwards glance. Blocking her friends' protests from her mind, she headed straight for the dungeons and stopped in front of Snape's office. The potions master, who was standing guard at the door, raised and eyebrow at her sudden appearance, but stepped away from the locked door as she approached.

"Give me his wand," she ordered. Her voice was hard and cold, and he winced almost imperceptively at her tone. He knew better than to argue with her. Withdrawing a slim piece of dark wood from his robes, Snape handed her Lucus Malfoy's wand.

"Thank you," she answered as he pushed open the heavy wooden door for her and once again stepped back to allow her entry. "I'll only be a minute." Stepping into the room, she closed the door behind her, not bothering to lock it. A blond head looked up at her as the door clicked close, and a wide sneer crossed the man's face.

"Well, well, well. Look who's come to visit." In the blink of an eye, the Slayer was across the room, ripping away the ropes that were binding Lucius Malfoy to the chair he was restrained to. "Come to let me free?" She shoved his wand into the palm of his hand, her expression remaining hard as his eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm giving you the chance to fight back," Buffy ground out, immediately once again on the opposite side of the room. "Get up," she ordered, and the older man scrutinized her for a moment before standing. The two continued to stare at each other for what seemed like hours, neither wanting to make the first move. "You killed him."

"You're going to have to be more specific," he taunted, the excited glint in his eye making Buffy want to cross the room and rip his head right off without giving him the chance to defend himself. "I've killed a lot of people." He ran his fingers over the wood in his hands, waiting for her to elaborate.

"You killed Xander!" she practically yelling, her calm and cool exterior dissolving as another wave of anger crashed into her. Her vision turned red, and her fists clenched at her side as he laughed.

"Ah yes..." His voice came out almost like a hiss, and he smiled. "Your little friend. He never stood a chance against me. He was weak.. Incapable of defending himself. The boy was dead before he even knew what hit him." He laughed again, and she had had enough. Before he could raise his wand, she had him pinned up against the cold stone wall with her hand around his throat.

"Don't you dare talk about him like that." She had forgotten that he still had his wand in his hand.

"Crucio!" Both blonds dropped to the floor as what felt like an an electric current coursed through the Slayer's body, causing her to cry out. A second later, she was back on her feet, charging at the man who had killed one of her best friends. Her movements, fueled out of anger and revenge, acted on instinct rather than logic. She was wild, not in control of her actions, and he used this to his advantage. "Crucio!" She fought against the pain as he hurled several more curses at him, dodging some and being hit by others.

"Ahhh!" she screamed in pain as a new wound sprouted up on the pale skin of her chest and began to pour blood. Pain clouded her vision, but she pushed through it, smiling triumphantly as she knocked his wand away from him and pinned him to the ground. She began to swing at him wildly, her fist connecting with any part of him she could reach. He was bleeding heavily now, coughing and sputtering for breath around the blood that was filling his mouth and nose. As she wrapped her hands around his neck to end it, the door burst open behind her, and she jerked her head around to see who it was. Draco was standing in the doorway, his face flushed and his breath uneven from running.

"Buffy! No!" He gasped, stumbling into the room. Snape was standing behind him with a sour expression his face. She could tell that he had no qualms about her killing Lucius Malfoy. Now that he was no longer a double agent, he had dropped his front of loyalty and respect for Voldemort and his followers. "Buffy..." he tried again when she made no move to get up off of his father. "I know what he did. I know. But you can't kill him."

"Why not?" she asked, her voice once again cold an hard as she turned to look down at the man who had killed Xander. "The bastard deserves to die for what he did."

"It's too easy," Draco answered, crossing the room in a few strides and lifting her up. She didn't struggle. She simply let him wrap his arms around her. The blood from her hands was smearing across his skin and robes, but he made no move to stop it. He held her gently, like a lover, but strong at the same time. "If you kill him now, he won't suffer. He needs to be punished for what he did." This clicked in Buffy's memory. He did need to suffer. A lifetime in Azkaban. That's what he deserved.

"Ok," she agreed quietly, turning toward the door without another look at Lucius. "Ok." Smiling softly, Draco placed a hand on Buffy's back and pushed her gently toward the door.

"Avada Kadavra!"

"Protego!" Draco yelled, causing Buffy to spin around just as a jet of bright green light smashed into and invisible barrier directly in front of her face. "Expelliarmus!" A red jet of light burst from the tip of the boy's wand and slammed into his father, sending him flying backwards and crashing into the hard stone wall, effectively rendering him unconscious. Buffy turned her attention back to Draco, her widened green eyes causing him to smile softly. He didn't need a thank you. "Come on," he urged quietly, once again pushing her gently in the direction of the door. "Let's go."

"Take his wand and tie him up," the Slayer ordered Snape. He mock glowered at her, but quickly moved to follow her orders. Letting Draco take control, she let her mind wander. All of the people they had lost. Children. All so that she could kill this big bad in half a second? But what if he wasn't dead. What if he had just gone into hiding again. Waiting. Plotting... No. She mentally shook herself. She had killed him; she was sure of it. Dumbledore had made sure of it. And just in case, she had swung a sword down on his neck, wanting to make sure that he would never come back. Wanting to make sure that they would be safe. Happy. Free.

But were they? All those people. Would they ever be free from what they had lost? Their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, friends, lovers... The list went on and on. Would they be free from the guilt? Could she be free... happy... knowing that so many people had lost their lives following her orders? Dozens of people, innocent people that just happened to get caught in the middle of one of the greatest wars in wizardry history? Pavarti wouldn't have a sister. Hogwarts wouldn't have several of it's amazing and life changing staff members. The ministry wouldn't have handfuls of its dedicated and brave members. Same with the Order. Ron wouldn't have a brother... Oh god. Ron and Hermione. She had no idea where they were... if they were safe. If they were even alive. But she didn't know what had happened to them. Maybe they survived. Maybe they had escaped the fight unharmed. Maybe they would be waiting for her when she got back to the hospital wing.

But all of this barely mattered to her. She knew she was being selfish, insensitive even, but she couldn't help it. Two deaths had cut her to the core. She closed her eyes as she thought of Xander, barely feeling her feet pounding against the stone underneath her. Other than Willow, he was her best friend. The first one in Sunnydale who had figured out who she really was, and the last one to ever leave her. He was like a brother to her. The overly protective brother that you sometimes want to scream at and punch in the face for smothering you, but the brother that deep down, you love more than anything. He was the heart. The heart of the little group. The one who was always there, willing to help whenever needed and wanting to protect them at all costs. The one that would give his life for them. He was her heart. And now, that part of her was gone. What would the Scoobies be without him? Would they even be the Scoobies anymore?

The tears were flowing freely now, tracing a path down her cheeks and falling to the cold stone beneath her. A single sob escaped her throat, shaking her body and causing her stride to falter. Hearing this, Draco stopped, and with one look into her tear-filled eyes, drew her close to his chest. With a soft shushing sound, he cradled her head against him, running his fingers through her blond locks. He leaned his cheek against the top of her head, and she knew that he wanted nothing more in the world than to absorb some of the pain she was feeling so that it would be easier to bare. But it was no use. Her heart pounded in her chest and the tears continued to course down her face and onto Draco's robes as she thought of the one person who had changed her life the most since she had arrived at Hogwarts.

She had only known him for a short time, but she had developed such strong feelings for him. After Angel, she had no idea if she would ever be able to love someone else. But he had helped her to move on. To find herself. So see what her life could be. To be a normal girl for the first time since she had been called. One who thought about boys and make-up instead of weapons and ambush tactics. She had realized that even though part of her heart still belonged, and would always belong, to the ensouled vampire, she had found someone else. Someone that could make her happy. Someone who would cherish her and take care of her. Someone she could live a normal life with. Someone she could grow old with, spend her life with out in the sun. Someone she could love. Someone she could have loved.

She didn't know what life held for her now. She didn't know if she could go back to Sunnydale the same old Buffy. If she, Giles, Willow, and Oz could return, mourn the death of one of their closest friends, and recover from it. If she could ever find love again after having had it ripped her away not once, but twice. If they could return to their lives, writing their journey to the wizarding world off as just another means of defeating a big bad. As an adventure. But one thing was for certain. She knew this, Buffy realized with a sad smile. She could have been happy.

If she only had been given the chance.

xxxx

I know that ending was extremely sad, but I felt that it was the best way to go. It was the most realistic ending (though Buffy and HP aren't all that realistic to begin with!). I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again for all of your support, and drop me a review on your way out! ^_^


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